Reactions of oxidatively activated arylamines with thiols: reaction mechanisms and biologic implications. An overview

Aromatic amines belong to a group of compounds that exert their toxic effects usually after oxidative biotransformation, primarily in the liver. In addition, aromatic amines also undergo extrahepatic activation to yield free arylaminyl radicals. The reactive intermediates are potential promutagens and procarcinogens, and responsible for target tissue toxicity. Since thiols react with these intermediates at high rates, it is of interest to know the underlying reaction mechanisms and the toxicologic implications. Phenoxyl radicals from aminophenols and aminyl radicals from phenylenediamines quickly disproportionate to quinone imines and quinone diimines. Depending on the structure, Michael addition or reduction reactions with thiols may prevail. Products of sequential oxidation/addition reactions (e.g., S-conjugates of aminophenols) are occasionally more toxic than the parent compounds because of their higher autoxidizability and their accumulation in the kidney. Even after covalent binding of quinone imines to protein SH groups, the resulting thioethers are able to autoxidize. The quinoid thioethers can then cross-link the protein by addition to neighboring nucleophiles. The reactions of nitrosoarenes with thiols yield a so-called "semimercaptal" from which various branching reactions detach, depending on substituents. Compounds with strong pi-donors, like 4-nitrosophenetol, give a resonance-stabilized N-(thiol-S-yl)-arylamine cation that may lead to bicyclic products, thioethers, and DNA adducts. Examples of toxicologic implications of the interactions of nitroso compounds with thiols are given for nitrosoimidazoles, heterocyclic nitroso compounds from protein pyrolysates, and nitrosoarenes. These data indicate that interactions of activated arylamines with thiols may not be regarded exclusively as detoxication reactions.