Experimental studies of OH° radical/pressure dependence of arginase activity using a molecular chromatography approach.

Arginase is an enzyme which plays a role in pathophysiology such as hypertension. Here we demonstrated for the first time the direct implication of pressure and OH° radical formation on the arginase activity via a novel analytical procedure. Pressure increased arginase activity in the range 12-52bars. Activation by OH° radical showed a hyperbolic response. The OH° radicals produced were significantly inhibited by sulfasalazine (SAZ) and the inhibition of OH° radicals parallels the inhibition of arginase activity.