Free radical damage to sarcoplasmic reticulum of masseter muscle by arachidonic acid and prostaglandin G2.

In vitro generation of free radicals by xanthine oxidase acting on hypoxanthine as a substrate induced a decreased calcium uptake velocity and reduced calcium-dependent ATPase activity of isolated sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) vesicles from canine masseter muscle at pH 7.0. At pH 5.5 calcium uptake velocity was also reduced but ATPase activity was unaffected. Application of arachidonic acid or prostaglandin G2 induced the depression of both calcium uptake velocity and ATPase activity. The effect of arachidonic acid and prostaglandin G2 on ATPase activity depended on the pH. At pH 7.0, ATPase activity was decreased, but at pH 5.5 it was unchanged. These effects were reversed by superoxide dismutase (SOD) at pH 7.0, and by SOD plus mannitol at pH 5.5. Prostaglandin H2, prostaglandin E2 and 11,14,17-eicosatrienoic acid had no effect on calcium uptake velocity and ATPase activity at both pH 7.0 and pH 5.5. These results suggest that damage to the masseter muscle is caused by a free radical superoxide anion generated as a result of increased prostaglandins synthesis, and by the production of more lethal hydroxyl radical switched from the production of superoxide anion at low pH.