Catechol adrenergic agents enhance hydroxyl radical generation in xanthine oxidase systems containing ferritin: implications for ischemia/reperfusion.

Iron chelators have been reported to protect tissues against reperfusion injury. This implies that iron is being released into the plasma or is made accessible in tissues for oxidation-reduction reactions. It has been postulated that ferritin is a likely source for this iron. This report demonstrates that adrenergic agents with the catechol structure, which includes the endogenous catecholamines norepinephrine and epinephrine, are capable of releasing iron from ferritin. It is shown that the net release of iron from ferritin by epinephrine is significantly enhanced under anaerobic conditions. The findings suggest that catecholamines can mediate iron release from ferritin under conditions that can occur during ischemia/reperfusion. Catecholamines are also shown to interact with the released iron and xanthine oxidase to produce highly reactive hydroxyl radicals. The implications of this interaction for ischemia/reperfusion are discussed.