Rat liver microsomal NADPH-dependent release of iron from ferritin and lipid peroxidation

Microsomes prepared by the usual method of differential centrifugation were found to contain ferritin, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase which could be removed by chromatography on Sepharose CL-2B. Addition of purified rat liver ferritin to chromatographed microsomes resulted in a significant stimulation of NADPH-dependent lipid peroxidation which was inhibited by exogenously added SOD. Iron release from ferritin by these microsomes was also inhibited by SOD. Ferritin did not promote NADPH-dependent microsomal lipid peroxidation when added to microsomes isolated in the usual manner, presumably due to the endogenous SOD present in the microsomes. Accordingly, only very low rates of iron release from ferritin were observed with these microsomes. Paraquat (PQ), which generates superoxide O2-. via redox cycling, greatly stimulated iron release from ferritin and lipid peroxidation in chromatographed microsomes. Paraquat had no effect on iron release from ferritin or lipid peroxidation in microsomes. which were not chromatographed unless they were first treated with CN- to inhibit endogenous SOD. These studies indicate that the majority of microsomal iron is contained within ferritin and that following release by O2-. this iron serves to promote the peroxidation of microsomal lipids.