Demonstration of hydroxyl radical and its role in hydrogen peroxide-induced myocardial injury: hydroxyl radical dependent and independent mechanisms.

We investigated the mechanism of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) action on myocardial injury in relation to hydroxyl radical (.OH) formation. Isolated rat hearts were perfused with a concentration of H2O2 (300 microM) known to produce cardiac injury. Perfusion of H2O2 for 15 min caused severe myocardial dysfunction, morphological damage, ATP depletion, and lipid peroxidation. Hydrogen peroxide concentration in the coronary effluent was reduced approximately 40% reflecting a myocardial H2O2 consumption of 12.7 +/- 0.9 mumol/15 min/g wet tissue (n = 12). One of the .OH-generated derivatives, 2,3-dihydroxybenzoic acid (2,3-DHBA), formed from reaction with salicylic acid, was detected in the coronary effluent by high-performance liquid chromatography at 23.16 +/- 4.05 nmol/15 min/g wet tissue. Catalase (200 U/ml, n = 6) added to the perfusate attenuated all parameters of myocardial injury by eliminating H2O2 from the perfusate, and thus .OH was not detected in the effluent. Deferoxamine (5 mM, n = 7) added to the perfusate reduced morphological damage and lipid peroxidation, but not dysfunction or ATP depletion. Deferoxamine significantly reduced .OH production; 2,3-DHBA was 5.22 +/- 3.56 nmol/15 min/g wet tissue. The present study provides evidence that .OH is produced in the H2O2-perfused heart. The adverse H2O2-mediated myocardial outcomes documented in this study appear to arise from both .OH-dependent and .OH-independent mechanisms.