Reactivity of photochemically-generated lipid hydroperoxides in cell membranes with glutathione peroxidase

The ability of glutathione peroxidase (Gpx) to catalyze the reductive inactivation of photochemically-generated lipid hydroperoxides (LOOHs) was investigated, using hematoporphyrin derivative (HPD) as a photosensitizing agent and erythrocyte ghosts as membrane targets. Glutathione peroxidase was reactive toward photoperoxidized membranes only after their exposure to phospholipase A2 (PLA2). Iodometrically-determined LOOH values were typically 30-40% greater than values measured by enzymatic assay using Gpx and glutathione reductase. A consistent result was obtained when photooxidized membranes were treated with PLA2 and GSH/Gpx followed by iodometric assay, viz. persistence of approximately 40% of the starting LOOH. Whereas photooxidized egg phosphatidylcholine liposomes underwent total LOOH loss when incubated with PLA2 and GSH/Gpx, no net loss was observed with photooxidized cholesterol/dimyristoyl-phosphatidylcholine liposomes. The results suggest that cholesterol hydroperoxides in ghost membranes account for the Gpx-resistant fraction of LOOHs.