Mechanism-based inhibition of thioredoxin reductase by antitumor quinoid compounds

Quinoids undergo metabolism by a number of flavoenzymes. Reactive species formed during the metabolism of some quinoids might be anticipated to inhibit flavoenzyme activity. Several quinoids have been tested for their ability to inhibit rat liver thioredoxin reductase (TR). The antitumor quinones diaziquone and doxorubicin, and the quinoneimine 2,6-dichloroindophenol, were found to be inhibitors of the reduction of 5,5'-dithiobis-2-nitrobenzoic acid (DTNB) by TR. The inhibition was most marked after incubation of the quinoid with NADPH and the enzyme for 60 min before adding DTNB, with Ki values of 0.5 microM for diaziquone, 0.5 microM for doxorubicin, and 0.07 microM for 2,6-dichloroindophenol. The three quinoids all produced a time-dependent and first order loss of TR activity. There was formation of electron spin resonance-detectable semiquinoid free radicals upon incubation of diaziquone, doxorubicin and 2,6-dichloroindophenol with TR and NADPH under anaerobic conditions. Oxygen radicals formed by redox cycling of the quinoids did not make a major contribution to the inhibition of TR by the quinoids, as shown by the absence of significant reversal of the inhibition by anaerobic incubation conditions and the lack of effect of the oxygen radical scavengers dimethyl sulfoxide, superoxide dismutase and catalase. It was not possible to demonstrate NADPH-dependent covalent binding of radiolabeled diaziquone or doxorubicin to the TR apoprotein. It is possible that the quinoids bind noncovalently to the enzyme apoprotein, or bind to the FAD prosthetic group. The results of the study suggest that some antitumor quinoids are mechanism-based inhibitors of TR showing metabolism- and time-dependent irreversible inhibition of enzyme activity.