Oxidation of 1,1-diphenylhydrazine to N-nitrosodiphenylamine by superoxide radical in the eye.

By microsomes obtained from bovine ciliary body, 1,1-diphenylhydrazine was oxidized to N-nitrosodiphenylamine in the presence of NADPH. This reaction was stimulated by riboflavin which was recognized to be an electron carrier. The oxidizing activity by microsomes was markedly inhibited by superoxide dismutase, but not by SKF 525-A or carbon monoxide. Similarly, the oxidation of 1,1-diphenylhydrazine to its corresponding nitrosamine occurred in varying degrees when the hydrazine derivative was exposed to visible light in the presence of photosensitizers such as riboflavin, flavin adenine dinucleotide, flavin mononucleotide, lumiflavin, lumichrome, NAD+, NADH, NADP+, or NADPH. The photochemical oxidation was inhibited by active oxygen-scavengers such as superoxide dismutase, L-ascorbic acid or alpha-tocopherol. The superoxide radical involved in the photochemical reaction was determined by measuring the oxidation of epinephrine to adrenochrome. The oxidation of epinephrine was well correlated to that of 1,1-diphenylhydrazine. Thus, the present study provided evidence that the superoxide radical is responsible for the oxidation of a hydrazine derivative to a corresponding nitrosamine by ocular tissue microsomes and by photosensitizers.