Nitric oxide-scavenging activity of polyhydroxylated fullerenol C60(OH)24

Investigation of the possible nitric oxide-scavenging activity of hydroxylated derivative of fullerene, fullerenol C-60(OH)(24), demonstrated that it expressed direct scavenging activity toward nitric oxide radical (NO) liberated within solution of sodium nitroprusside (SNP), a well known NO donor. In parallel, pre-treatment (30') with intratesticular injection of fullerenol (60mug/each testis) prevented NO-induced decrease of catalase, glutathione transferase and glutathione peroxidase activities in the denucleated fraction of interstitial testicular cells of adult rats 2h after intratesticular injection of SNP (20mug/each testis). In addition, fullerenol decreased formation of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBA-RS) with similar efficiency as butylated hydroxy toluen (BHT), a well known antioxidant. Also, fullerenol expressed certain scavenging activity toward superoxide anion (O-2(-)) in xanthine/xanthine oxidase system. In summary, results obtained in this study confirmed free radical-scavenging activity of fullerenol, and according to our knowledge, it is the first evidence of direct NO-quenching activity of hydroxylated C-60 derivative in different milieu. (C) 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.