Copper, zinc-superoxide dismutase and hydrogen peroxide: a hydroxyl radical generating system.

Because superoxide (O2-.) is a mediator of inflammation, Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase (Cu,Zn-SOD) has been employed as an anti-inflammatory compound. However, Cu,Zn-SOD can increase intra- and extracellular H2O2. This may react with the Cu atom of SOD in a Fenton-type reaction producing the hydroxyl radical (.OH). With a non-physiological concentration of H2O2 (0.8 mmol/l) to stimulate chemiluminescence (CL) at a level < 2 mV, it was observed that the addition of Cu,Zn-SOD (100 micrograms/ml) yielded an increase of 204.7 +/- 78.2 mV (P < 0.05). This increase in CL depended on the concentrations of H2O2 and Cu,Zn-SOD and was only seen with luminol (reacts with O2-. and .OH) but not with lucigenin (reacts with O2-.). No CL was observed when Cu,Zn-SOD was heat inactivated, or when Mn-SOD was used. Dissipators of H2O2, copper chelators and .OH scavengers attenuated this CL. In electron paramagnetic resonance, with the use of the spin-trap dimethylpyrroline-N-oxide (DMPO), it was demonstrated that, in the reaction between H2O2 and Cu,Zn-SOD, .OH was generated. The oxidation of keto-methylthiobutyric acid (KMB) to ethylene, assessed by gas chromatography, demonstrated that H2O2/Cu,Zn-SOD-generated .OH can react with KMB and not only with the SOD molecule itself. We conclude that H2O2 reduces SOD-bound Cu2+ to Cu1+ which, in reaction with H2O2 catalyses its reduction to OH. Whether this 'pro-inflammatory' reaction occurs in vivo remains to be established.