The participation of superoxide in initiating tissue damage from admini stration of a xenobiotics is best illustrated by paraquat intoxication, in which it is known that one electron reduction of para quat leads to the formation of radical species whi...
The participation of superoxide in initiating tissue damage from admini stration of a xenobiotics is best illustrated by paraquat intoxication, in which it is known that one electron reduction of para quat leads to the formation of radical species which react with molecular oxygen to give superoxide. Although it has also been argued that superoxide itself is not toxic, the shunting of electrons into the futile reduction of oxygen to hydrogen peroxide can be considered as a toxic process.
In the present study, the effect of paraquat on lipid peroxidation in rabbit erythrocyte was investigated, Incubation of a buffered aerobic mixture of erythrocyte in the presence of Fe^(2+) and glucose or NADH resulted in the formation of lipid peroxide as determined as malonydialdehyde.
Paraquat inhibited Fe^(2+) induced lipid peroxidation in rabbit erythrocyte. In contrast, NADH and glucose stimulate the Fe^(2+) induced lipid peroxidation of erythrocyte in the presence of paraquat and the levels of erythrocyte NADH and NADPH were decreased by paraquat.
These results suggest that the inhibitory effect of paraquat on FeU induced lipid peroxidation in rabbit erythrocyte is mainly due to a decrease in the level of NADH and NADPH.