Nitecapone: a nitric oxide radical scavenger.

Nitecapone [3-(3,4-dihydroxy-5-nitrobenzylidene)-2,4-pentanedione], is a scavenger of nitric oxide produced in vitro. It reduced the rate of methemoglobin formation from oxyhemoglobin exposed to nitric oxide generated from the reaction of hydroxylamine with Complex I of catalase and it decreased the amount of nitrite formed in the reaction of oxygen with nitric oxide generated from sodium nitroprusside. Nitecapone also affected the L-arginine dependent accumulation of nitrite in a suspension of peritoneal rat neutrophils. The related compounds entacapone [2-cyano-N, N-diethyl-3-(3,4 dihydroxy-5-nitrobenzyl)-propenamide] and OR 1246 [3-(3,4-dihydroxy-5-nitrobenzyl)-2,4-pentanedione] were also able to scavenge nitric oxide. The action of nitecapone on nitric oxide expands the role of nitecapone as a scavenger of reactive oxygen species, and suggests nitecapone, entacapone and OR 1246 as potential therapeutic agents for the treatment of diseases connected with increased production of nitric oxide.