The mechanism of nitroimidazole damage to DNA: coulometric evidence

A high resolution coulometric technique has been developed to measure the electron requirement for reduction of 12 nitroimidazoles, both in the presence and absence of DNA. The cytotoxic species is shown to be a light sensitive intermediate of drug reduction and a common mechanism of cytotoxicity proposed which involves electron transfer from DNA to the one-electron radical anion (R-NO2-).