In vitro damage of basal lamina-associated anionic sites by hydroxyl radical

We examined the effect of chemically generated hydroxyl radical on basal lamina-associated anionic sites. Cytochemical studies showed that hydroxyl radical produced a loss of cationic tracer-positive, anionic particles, and this effect was inhibited by a specific scavenger, thiourea. These data might suggest that anionic sites were degraded by hydroxyl radical which was derived, for example, from the activated leukocytes in close contact with the dermal-epidermal junction during acute inflammation resulting in the disturbance of the charge-selective permeability barrier.