Iron effects on myocardial enzymes depend on redox state

Rapid depression of Ca(2+)-uptake by sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) vesicles and inhibition of the activity of creatine kinase (CK) and pyruvate kinase (PK) was observed during incubation of enzymes with micromolar concentrations of iron in the presence of adenine nucleotides. This effect of iron was dependent on the redox state of the iron as determined by the redox state of the environment. Redox conditions that generated an Fe2+/Fe3+ ratio close to 1 were most effective in depressing Ca(2+)-uptake by SR vesicles. Redox conditions that decreased the Fe2+/Fe3+ ratio by oxidizing iron were most effective in depressing CK activity while redox conditions that significantly increased the Fe2+/Fe3+ ratio by reducing iron were most effective in depressing PK activity. All iron sensitive enzymes possessed N-etylmaleimide (NEM) sensitive sulphydryl groups that are essential for their activity. The sensitivity to inhibition by NEM increased in the order: PK < Ca(2+)-uptake < CK. Iron initiated depression of CK and PK activities were reversible with dithiothreitol (DTT). This indicated that modification of SH groups was an important step in the mechanism by which iron depressed enzyme activity. Iron initiated depression of Ca(2+)-uptake and of the activity of CK and PK was prevented by not allowing the critical Fe2+/Fe3+ ratio to be reached and by binding of iron with desferroxamine and EDTA. These results, together with data from the literature, led us to suggest that changes in the redox state of cellular micro-environments, inevitably taking place during ischemia and reperfusion, may increase the availability of "low molecular weight iron" and, through changes in the redox state of this iron, selectively initiate reversible depression of several enzymes which contain SH groups essential for their activity.