Micellar catalysis for oxidation of nitric oxide (NO) in the multi-phase systems in vivo

The equation of the dependence of the third-order reaction acceleration due to concentrating the reagents in a small volume of the hydrophobic phase on the partition coefficients of reagents (Q) and on the lipophilic phase fraction (x), [k(app)/k(2) = H(Q(NO),Q(O2),x)] was analyzed, It was demonstrated that the numeric value of dH/dx at x --> 0 could not be used in order to calculate the efficiency of catalysis from the experimental data. It was shown that, unlike in two-phase systems (with an aqueous and a hydrophobic phase), the dependence of H on Q in multiphase systems, that include all in vivo systems, is different, The multiple phase state of the systems has a determining role for a regulation of NO-dependent processes and in the realization of conditions of 'NO catastrophes'. (C) 1999 Federation of European Biochemical Societies.