Oxidation of ethylene glycol to formaldehyde by rat liver microsomes. Role of cytochrome P-450 and reactive oxygen species.

Rat liver microsomes oxidized ethylene glycol to formaldehyde in a NADPH-dependent, carbon monoxide-sensitive manner. Formaldehyde production was inhibited by substrates and ligands for cytochrome P-450 such as aniline, p-nitrophenol, pyrazole, and 4-methylpyrazole, and inhibitors such as tryptamine, cimetidine, and miconazole. The apparent Km for ethylene glycol was about 25 mM and the apparent Vmax was about 6 nmol/min/mg protein. Microsomes isolated from rats treated with pyrazole or 4-methylpyrazole to induce cytochrome P-450IIE1 oxidized ethylene glycol at rates which were about twice those found with control microsomes or microsomes isolated from rats treated with phenobarbital or 3-methylcholanthrene, although significant rates were found with all microsomal preparations. Antibody raised against the pyrazole-induced P-450IIE1 inhibited formaldehyde production from ethylene glycol in microsomes from pyrazole-treated rats. H2O2 itself did not oxidize ethylene glycol to formaldehyde; however, the microsomal reaction was inhibited by catalase or glutathione plus glutathione peroxidase and was stimulated by added H2O2 in the presence of NADPH. Nonheme iron also appeared to be required for ethylene glycol oxidation in view of the inhibition of formaldehyde production by desferrioxamine, EDTA, and DTPA. Microsomal oxidation of ethylene glycol was not sensitive to superoxide dismutase, hydroxyl radical scavengers, or Trolox, suggesting that the oxidant derived from H2O2 and iron and responsible for the production of formaldehyde from ethylene glycol was not superoxide, hydroxyl radical, or lipid hydroperoxide. These results suggest that ethylene glycol is oxidized to formaldehyde by an oxidant derived from H2O2 and nonheme iron, and that cytochrome P-450 may function to generate the H2O2 and to catalyze reduction of the nonheme iron.