Adriamycin-dependent peroxidation of rat liver and heart microsomes catalysed by iron chelates and ferritin. Maximum peroxidation at low oxygen partial pressures.

NADPH- and iron-dependent lipid peroxidation of rat heart and liver microsomes was measured in the presence and absence of adriamycin. Lipid peroxidation was enhanced by adriamycin when incubated in air and was increased as the pO2 was lowered, to a maximum of 3-4 times the aerobic level at a pO2 of approx. 4 mm Hg. Fe-ADP, Fe-ATP and ferritin were able to catalyse adriamycin-dependent peroxidation of microsomes under low pO2. Superoxide dismutase and catalase had minimal effect. These results indicate that adriamycin-dependent lipid peroxidation is favoured by the low O2 concentration that exist in active muscle cells and suggest that ferritin could provide the iron catalyst for the reaction.