Amino Acid and Biogenic Amine Adductions Derived from Reactive Metabolites

Reactive metabolites (RMs) are products generated from the metabolism of endogenous and exogenous substances. RMs are characterized as electrophilic species chemically reactive to nucleophiles. Those nucleophilic species may be nitrogen-containing bio-molecules, including macro-biomolecules, such as protein and DNA, and small biomolecules, i.e., amino acids (AAs) and biogenic amines (BAs). AAs and BAs are essential endogenous nitrogen-containing compounds required for normal development, metabolism, and physiological functions in organisms, through participating in the intracellular replication, transcription, translation, division and proliferation, DNA and protein synthesis, regulation of apoptosis, and intercellular communication activities. These biological amines containing an active lone pair of electrons on the electronegative nitrogen atom would be the proper N-nucleophiles to be attacked by the abovementioned RMs. This review covers an overview of adductions of AAs and BAs with varieties of RMs. These RMs are formed from metabolic activation of furans, naphthalene, benzene, and products of lipid peroxidation. This article is designed to provide readers with a better understanding of biochemical mechanisms of toxic action.