Electron spin resonance study on the mode of generation of free radicals of daunomycin, adriamycin, and carboquone in NAD(P)H-microsome system.

The mode of generation of free radicals of daunomycin, adriamycin, and carboquone in the NADPH-rat liver microsome system was studied at room temperature by electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy. ESR signals of all these quinoid anticancer chemicals were detected when dissolved oxygen in the reaction mixture was consumed since the radicals are easilyaut oxidizable. All the radicals had an appreciable lifetime under anaerobic conditions. However, there were differences in the mode of their generation between daunomycin and adriamycin, on the one hand, and carboquone, on the other, with respect to the lag time and the effect of the amount of chemicals, pH of the medium, kind of electron donors, NADPH and NADH, and the presence of excess of DNA. Especially, ESR signal reappeared after the first signal had decreased considerably, in the case of daunomycin and adriamycin but not in carboquone. Intact Ehrlich ascites tumor cells also gave rise to an ESR signal of adriamycin and carboquone, but the former signal was prevented from appearing in the presence of glucose.