Nitric oxide radical generation

Simultaneous generation of nitric oxide and superoxide by NO synthases results in the formation of peroxynitrite. As the reaction between these free radicals proceeds with a diffusion-controlled rate (Chapter 21), it is surprising that it is possible to detect experimentally both superoxide and NO during NO synthase catalysis. However, Pou et al. [147] pointed out that the reason is the fact that superoxide and nitric oxide are generated consecutively at the same heme iron site. Therefore, after superoxide production NO synthase must cycle twice before NO production. Correspondingly, there is enough time for superoxide to diffuse from the enzyme and react with other biomolecules. 

Conversion of toluenes to the benzoic acid is also accomplished by anodic oxidation in acetic acid containing some nitric acid. It is not clear if this reaction involves the aromatic radical-cation or if the oxidising agents are nitrogen oxide radicals generated by electron transfer from nitrate ions [66, 67]. Oxidation of 4-fluorotoluene at a lead dioxide anode in dilute sulphuric acid gives 4-fluorobenzoic acid in a reaction which involves loss of a proton from the aromatic radical-cation and them in further oxidation of the benzyl radical formed [68]. 

In addition to oxidants that are generated by the Fenton reaction, superoxide radicals (-02 ) readily react with nitric oxide (NO-), generating peroxynitrite anion (ONOO ) in the following reaction ... 

R8 is the simplest of a large suite of peroxyl radical combination reactions, generalized as R02 + H02 and R02 + R02 that generate poorly characterized radical and non-radical reaction products. Such reactions are of greatest significance in air with low nitric oxide concentration where the R02 species can reach elevated concentrations (95). The dependence of [H02 ] upon the tropospheric NO concentration is discussed below. 

Nagata K, H Yu, M Nishikawa, M Kashiba, A Nakamura, EE Sato, T Tamura, M Inoue (1998) Helicobacter pylori generates superoxide radicals and modulates nitric oxide metabolism. J Biol Chem 273 14071-14073. 

The major limitation of nitrate therapy is the development of tolerance with continuous use. The loss of anti-anginal effects may occur within the first 24 hours of continuous nitrate therapy. While the cause of tolerance is unclear, several mechanisms have been proposed. These include depletion of the sulfhydryl groups necessary for the conversion of nitrates to nitric oxide, activation of neurohormonal systems, increased intravascular volume, and generation of free radicals that degrade nitric oxide. The most effective method to avoid tolerance and maintain the anti-anginal efficacy of nitrates is to allow a daily nitrate-free interval of at least 8 to 12 hours. Nitrates do not provide protection from ischemia during the nitrate-free period. Therefore, the nitrate-free... 

Lodi, F, R Jimenez, C Menendez, PW Needs, J Buaret, and E Perez-Vizcaino. 2008. Glucuronidated metabolites of the flavonoid of quercetin do not auto-oxidize, do not generate free radicals and do not decrease nitric oxide bioavailability. Planta Med 74(7) 741-746. 

C.M. Tolias, J.C. McNeil, J. Kazlauskate, and E.W. Hillhouse, Superoxide generation from constitutive nitric oxide synthase in astrocytes in vitro regulates extracellular nitric oxide availability. Free Radical Biol. Med. 26, 99-106 (1999). 

The aggregation of platelets contributes to the development of atherosclerosis and to the formation of acute thrombus. The activated platelets that adhere to the vascular endothelium generate lipid peroxides and oxygen free radicals, inhibiting the endothelial formation of prostacyclin and nitric oxide. 

This mode of superoxide-dependent free radical-mediated damaging activity remains an important one although the nature of the generated reactive species (free hydroxyl radicals or perferryl, or ferryl ions) is still obscure. However, after the discovery of the fact that many cells produce nitric oxide in relatively large amounts (see below), it became clear that there is another and possibly a more portent mechanism of superoxide-induced free radical damage, namely, the formation of highly reactive peroxynitrite. 

In this chapter the generation of free radicals, mainly superoxide and nitric oxide, catalyzed by prooxidant enzymes will be considered. Enzymes are apparently able to produce some other free radicals (for example, HO and N02), although their formation is not always rigorously proved or verified. The reactions of such enzymes as lipoxygenase and cyclooxygenase also proceed by free radical mechanism, but the free radicals formed are consumed in their catalytic cycles and probably not to be released outside. Therefore, these enzymes are considered separately in Chapter 26 dedicated to enzymatic lipid peroxidation. 

As mentioned earlier, extensive literature is dedicated to the study of functions of NO synthases under physiological and pathophysiological conditions. Much attention has been drawn to the capacity of these enzymes to generate free radicals. The mechanism of nitric oxide production by NO synthases was widely discussed and are presented in Figure 22.3 [147]. 

In addition to nitric oxide, superoxide, and peroxynitrite, NO synthases are able to generate secondary free radicals because similar to cytochrome P-450 reductase, the reductase domain can transfer an electron from the heme to a xenobiotic. Thus it has been found [158,159] that neuronal NO synthase NOS I catalyzed the formation of CH3CH(OH) radical from ethanol. It was suggested that the perferryl complex of NOS I is responsible for the formation of such secondary radicals. Miller [160] also demonstrated that 1,3-dinitrobenzene mediated the formation of superoxide by nNOS. It was proposed that the enhancement of superoxide production in the presence of 1,3-dinitrobenzene converted nNOS into peroxynitrite-produced synthase and may be a mechanism of neurotoxicity of certain nitro compounds. 

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