It is well-known that the bicarbonate/carbon dioxide pair, the presence of which is important in maintaining physiological pH in NVP-BGJ398 extracellular body fluids, can accelerate the transition metal ion-catalysed oxidation of various biotargets. Despite of its relevance, however, most of the mechanisms that

have been proposed to account for this important effect remain controversial [8], [9], [10], [11], [12], [13], [14], [15], [16], [17], [18], [19], [20] and [21]. On the other hand, it is accepted that the bicarbonate/carbon dioxide pair can increase peroxynitrite-mediated one-electron oxidation and nitration via formation of the carbonate radical and nitrogen dioxide [22] and [23]. In this context, the

unequivocal demonstration by EPR that the reaction between peroxynitrite and carbon dioxide produces CO3•−[24] is strong evidence for the involvement of this radical in bicarbonate/carbon dioxide pair-stimulated peroxidations. Although less oxidizing than the •OH (Eo = 2.3 V, pH see more 7.0) [5], [6] and [7], the carbonate radical is a strong one-electron oxidant (Eo = 1.8 V, pH 7.0) [5], [6] and [7] which, in contrast to the former, does not add to biomolecules. Since the carbonate radical is more specific than the hydroxyl radical, it may increase oxidation/nitration of particular biotargets [11], [22] and [25]. In addition to the above, several lines of evidence support the hypothesis that the carbonate radical is the major diffusible oxidant resulting from the peroxidase activity of copper/zinc-superoxide dismutase [26] and [27]. However, although this enzyme has received considerable research Protein kinase N1 attention in recent years by virtue of its potential relationship with familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, it is still unclear whether the immediate precursor of the carbonate radical is bicarbonate [19] and [26], carbon dioxide [14] and [30]

or peroxymonocarbonate (HCO4−) [27], [28] and [29]. Strong evidence for the involvement of peroxymonocarbonate in the formation of CO3•− derives from kinetic studies of bovine serum albumin (BSA-cysSH) and glutathione (GSH) peroxidation in the presence of bicarbonate [25], and the demonstration that the formation and reduction of peroxymonocarbonate is facilitated by the many metal centres of xanthine oxidase [31]. Copper-catalysed, hydrogen peroxide/bicarbonate-induced oxidative damage to proteins is also believed to be associated with the production of the carbonate radical [11]. Although initial studies employed Cu(II) chloride as a model of the copper complex, other investigations have revealed that the ligand environment around the Cu(II) ion is extremely important in determining the oxidative damage to biomolecules caused by the endogenous metal complexed with aqua-ligand, organic ligands or protein [32], [33] and [34].