Stimulative effects of chelating agents, 2,2'-bipyridine and 1,10-phenanthroline, on lipid peroxidation in rat liver microsomes.

Well known lipid peroxidation inhibitors, 1,10-phenanthroline and 2,2'-bipyridine, stimulated microsomal NADPH- and ascorbic acid-dependent lipid peroxidation when low concentrations of these chelating agents were added to incubation mixture. The stimulatory effects of the chelating agents on lipid peroxidation were enhanced when ferrous ion was added together with the chelating agents to the mixture at a molar ratio of 1:1. Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) had no stimulatory effect on lipid peroxidation. Ferrous ion-EDTA complex increased lipid peroxidation by only 20-30%, which was lower than that obtained by addition of the same concentration of ferrous ion alone. On the other hand, manganese and calcium ions, which are also inhibitors of lipid peroxidation, had no ability to stimulate lipid peroxidation even in the presence of extra ferrous ions. Changes in the lipid peroxidation by chelating agents affected the apparent activity of ethylmorphine N-demethylation.