Retinoic acid-dependent stimulation of 2,2'-azobis(2-amidinopropane)-initiated autoxidation of linoleic acid in sodium dodecyl sulfate micelles: a novel prooxidant effect of retinoic acid.

(E)-Retinoic acid (RA) was shown to stimulate the rate of 2,2'-azobis(2-amidinopropane) (AAPH)-initiated autoxidation of linoleic acid (18:2) in sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) micelles. RA-dependent stimulation of 18:2 autoxidation was characterized by enhanced rates of dioxygen uptake which were linear with retinoid concentration. In contrast, 5,6-epoxy-RA, a major oxidation product of RA, failed to affect the rate of dioxygen consumption at all concentrations tested. RA was also shown to stimulate peroxyl radical-dependent oxidation of styrene to the corresponding oxirane when styrene was included in the micellar system as a molecular probe. Furthermore, unequivocal evidence of RA-dependent stimulation of 18:2 autoxidation was obtained by relative quantitation of 13-hydroxy-(9Z, 11E)-octadecadienoic acid (13-HODE) plus 9-hydroxy-(10E,12Z)-octadecadienoic acid (9-HODE) production. In addition, enhanced carbon-centered radical formation was demonstrated in the presence of RA by EPR spectroscopy using alpha-(4-pyridyl 1-oxide)-N-tert-butylnitrone (4-POBN) as a spin trap. Analysis and quantitation of RA oxidation products indicated that RA was oxidized to one primary product, 5,6-epoxy-RA, which was identified on the basis of cochromatography with synthetic standard (in a reverse-phase HPLC system), electronic absorption spectroscopy, and positive chemical ionization mass spectrometry of the corresponding methyl ester. Other minor oxidation products were also detected but not characterized. In contrast, reaction mixtures devoid of 18:2 failed to demonstrate significant retinoid oxidation. Mechanisms are proposed to account for the prooxidant effects of RA in this system.