Spin trapping of azidyl and hydroxyl radicals in azide-inhibited rat brain submitochondrial particles

Succinate-driven respiration in azide-inhibited rat brain submitochondrial particles (smps) produces azidyl and hydroxyl radicals that were detected by spin trapping with 5,5'-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-N-oxide (DMPO). Production of radicals required succinate and oxygen and was eliminated by heat denaturation, which indicates that radical production is a result of respiration. The concentrations of both DMPO/.OH and DMPO/.N3 were decreased by addition of catalase to the smps, which indicates that H2O2 is involved in radical production. In the absence of azide anion, DMPO/.OH was not detected in the same system, even after five additions of succinate over a period of 24 h. It is proposed that azide inhibition of cytochrome c oxidase results in increased production of superoxide, which is efficiently converted to hydrogen peroxide by membrane-bound superoxide dismutase. Hydrogen peroxide activates endogenous peroxidase to react with azide anion forming azidyl radical, which damages the peroxidase, resulting in decreased production of azidyl radical with successive additions of succinate. Hydroxyl radical is produced from the hydrogen peroxide that is not removed by peroxidase. The increased production of superoxide in the azide-inhibited system suggests that loss of cytochrome c oxidase activity can lead to increased radical production if other proteins in the respiratory chain remain active. In the azide-inhibited system, reaction of azide anion with H2O2-activated endogenous peroxidase and spin-trapping of the resulting azidyl radical is a convenient monitor of H2O2 production.