Hydroxyl radical damage to DNA sugar and model membranes induced by anthralin (dithranol)

The antipsoriatic anthrones anthralin and butantrone caused degradation of the DNA sugar deoxyribose in the presence of ferric salt. The degradation was substantially inhibited by iron-binding hydroxyl radical scavengers, iron chelators, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase, suggesting a mechanism in which antipsoriatic anthrones generate hydroxyl radicals via the Fenton reaction or an iron-catalysed Haber-Weiss reaction. Butantrone was markedly less efficient at generating hydroxyl radicals than anthralin. Using bovine brain phospholipid liposomes as model membranes to study the effects of antipsoriatic anthrones on lipid peroxidation, the peroxidation of liposomal membranes in the presence of ferric salt was maximally enhanced by anthralin and butantrone at 12.5 and 5 microM, respectively. Higher concentrations of the drugs resulted in less peroxidation. Chain-breaking antioxidants and iron chelators strongly decreased anthralin-enhanced lipid peroxidation, suggesting the involvement of hydroxyl, peroxyl or alkoxyl radicals. In contrast to their stimulatory effects on liposomal membrane peroxidation, both anthralin and butantrone diminished Fe3+/ascorbate-induced lipid peroxidation in liposomes. Butantrone was more effective as an inhibitor of lipid peroxidation than was anthralin. The antioxidant properties of antipsoriatic anthrones were determined in terms of their reactivities with the stable free radical 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). Antioxidant activity of antipsoriatic anthrones requires the presence of free hydroxyl groups at C-1 and C-8 and at least one hydrogen atom at C-10 of the anthrone nucleus. The role of active oxygen species produced by antipsoriatic anthrones and the biological effects on cellular targets are discussed with respect to the mode of action and manifestation of side effects of these drugs.