Inhibition of myeloperoxidase- and neutrophil-mediated oxidant production by tetraethyl and tetramethyl nitroxides.

The powerful oxidant HOCl (hypochlorous acid and its corresponding anion, (-)OCl) generated by the myeloperoxidase (MPO)-H2O2-Cl(-) system of activated leukocytes is strongly associated with multiple human inflammatory diseases; consequently there is considerable interest in inhibition of this enzyme. Nitroxides are established antioxidants of low toxicity that can attenuate oxidation in animal models, with this ascribed to superoxide dismutase or radical-scavenging activities. We have shown (M.

Acetaminophen (paracetamol) inhibits myeloperoxidase-catalyzed oxidant production and biological damage at therapeutically achievable concentrations.

The heme peroxidase enzyme myeloperoxidase (MPO) is released by activated neutrophils and monocytes, where it uses hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) to catalyze the production of the potent oxidants hypochlorous acid (HOCl), hypobromous acid (HOBr) and hypothiocyanous acid (HOSCN) from halide and pseudohalide (SCN(-)) ions. These oxidants have been implicated as key mediators of tissue damage in many human inflammatory diseases including atherosclerosis, asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, cystic fibrosis and some cancers. It is shown here that acetaminophen (paracetamol), a phenol-based drug with analgesic and antipyretic actions, is an efficient inhibitor of HOCl and HOBr generation by isolated MPO-H(2)O(2)-halide systems.