Nitroxide radicals protect against DNA damage in rat epithelial cells induced by nitric oxide, nitroxyl anion and peroxynitrite

In order to gain more knowledge on the antioxidant role of nitroxide radicals, in this study we investigate their possible protective action against DNA damage induced by nitric oxide (NO) and reactive nitrogen oxide species deriving from it, namely nitroxyl anion (NO-) and peroxynitrite (ONOO-). Rat trachea epithelial cells were exposed under aerobic conditions to (1) NO generated by 150 muM S-nitrosoglutathione monoethyl ester (GSNO-MEE), (2) NO- generated by 200 muM Angeli's salt (Na2N2O3) (3) ONOO- generated by 1 mM SIN-1 (3-morpholino-sydnonimine) and (4) 100 muM synthesized ONOO-, in the absence and presence of 5 muM of two indolinonic nitroxides synthesized by us and the piperidine nitroxide TEMPO (2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl). DNA damage was assessed using the comet assay-a rapid and sensitive, single-cell gel electrophoresis technique used to detect primary DNA damage in individual cells. The parameter tail moment, used as an index of DNA damage, showed that in all cases the nitroxides remarkably inhibited DNA strand breaks induced by the different nitrogen oxide species. All three nitroxides protect to the same extent, except in the case of synthesized peroxynitrite where the aromatic nitroxides 1 and 2 are more efficient than TEMPO. These findings are consistent with the antioxidant character of nitroxide compounds and give additional information on the potential implications for their use as therapeutic agents. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.