Glutathione reaction with sulfur

Direct evidence of the reaction of PAN with sulfhydryl compounds has since been obtained (PAN at 115 ppm for 1-10 min). - In the reaction with glutathione, the major products are oxidized glutathione (disulfide) and 5-acetylglutathione. Other sulfhydryl compounds (e.g., coenzyme A, lipoic acid, and cysteine) yield only oxidation products, with no evidence of 5-acetylation. However, acetylation reactions have been observed with alcohols and amines. Sulfur compounds other than thiols can undergo oxidation by PAN methionine is converted to methionine sulfoxide, and oxidized lipoic acid (disulfide) is converted to sulfoxide. 

The reaction of sulfur-containing biomolecules with platinum antitumor compounds, thereby preventing binding to the critical DNA target, is a possible mechanism of inactivation and is supported by numerous studies. Thus, glutathione (GSH, a cysteine-containing tripeptide see also Fig. 6), which is the predominant intracellular thiol and is present in concentrations varying from 0.5 to 10 mM, is able to inhibit the reaction of DNA with [Pt(en)Cl2] (74) and with cis-Pt (75, 76). It has also been observed that the presence of cysteine can inhibit the reaction between cis-Pt and d-Guo (77). Furthermore, the antitumor activity of cis-Pt was proved to be inhibited by coadministered methionine (78, 79) and even a bis-adduct between cis-Pt and methionine has been isolated from the urine of patients (80). 

Sulfur-containing compounds have been shown in vitro to interact with tributyltin compounds to produce other compounds with lower hemolytic activity (Byington et al. 1974). It has also been shown in vitro that the toxic properties of dibutyltin dichloride may be enhanced by meso, 2-3,-dimercapto-succinic acid, by means of a hydrophobic reaction with glutathione enzymes (Henninghausen and Merkord 1985). Such interactions could be of importance in treatment of organotin poisonings. 

LC/MS/MS is an important technique for the analysis of free metabolites and covalent adducts of sulfur mustard in urine and blood. In the case of TDG and TDGO, LC/MS has not yet been able to achieve the LODs obtainable with GC/MS after derivatization. LC/MS/MS has, however, been used successfully to analyze the metabolites (20, 21) derived from an initial reaction of sulfur mustard with glutathione (see Chapter 16). The two metabolites (20), derived from the 3-lyase pathway, can be isolated from urine by SPE on a hydroxylated polystyrene-divinylbenzene polymeric cartridge. Using a sensitive triple sector quadrupole LC/MS/MS system, detection limits of O.lng/ml have been achieved using positive ESI and MRM (56). This provides a useful alternative to GC/MS/MS, which requires reduction of the sulfoxide functions with titanium trichloride. An LC/MS/MS method (detection limit lng/ml) has been developed for the analysis of the hisf N - ace ly I cysteine) metabolite (21) in urine (57). Concentration from acidified urine was achieved on... 

Figure 3. Metabolites of sulfur mustard identified by mass spectrometry, derived from an initial reaction with glutathione and metabolized by divergent mercapturic acid and (1-lyase pathways (8)...

Sodium enolates of ketones and disodium enediolates of substituted phenylacetic acids reacted with activated aziridines to afford 7-amido ketones and 7-amidobutyric acids, respectively (Scheme 72). Aziridine-2-carboxylic acid esters can be utilized as versatile precursors for amino acid derivatives. Although the product distribution resulting from the reaction of activated aziridine-2-carboxylates with amines depends on the structure of the reactants, the reactions with alcohols or thiols in the presence of acidic cabilysts generally gave the a-amino acid derivatives (Scheme 73). ° On the other hand, free 3-methyl-2-aziridinecarboxylic acids (168) reacted with thiophenol, cysteine and glutathione to afford P-amino acid derivatives with sulfur substituents at the a-position as the main product (Scheme 73). ... 

Analysis of Urine Samples. As noted, earher analysis of urine samples targeted either unmetabolized sulfur mustard or the hydrolysis product TDG. Since that time, the number of analytes has expanded to a total of five urinary metabolites that are of primary interest for sulfur mustard verification in cases of human exposure. Two of the metabohtes, TDG and TDG-sulfoxide, are primarily derived from chemical hydrolysis reactions (see Figure 19.4). The other three products are formed following the reaction of sulfur mustard with glutathione (see Figure 19.5). Each of the five analytes has been identified in the urine of sulfur mustard exposed individuals. 

A series of metabolites formed from the reaction of sulfur mustard with glutathione, a small... 

The alkylperoxyl radical can be expected to react with sulfur amino acids by mechanisms similar to those for HOO- and HO-. Reactions of the hydroxyl and hydroperoxyl radicals have been more extensively studied because of their importance in radiation biochemistry. Thus, for cysteine, glutathione, and sulfhydryl proteins,... 

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