Effects of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species on cyclooxygenase-1 and -2 activities.

The effects of reactive oxygen species (superoxide anion radical--O(2)*-, hydrogen peroxide--H(2)O(2) and hydroxyl radical--*OH; the reaction products of xanthine plus xanthine oxidase system) and reactive nitrogen species [nitric oxide--NO*; from 1-hydroxyl-2-oxo-3-(N-methyl-3-aminopropyl)-3-methyl-1-triazene--NOC7 and peroxynitrite--ONOO(-)] on the activities of purified cyclooxygenase (COX)-1 and -2 were studied. Xanthine plus xanthine oxidase suppressed the COX-1 and -2 activities in a xanthine oxidase concentration-dependent fashion. This effect was reversed by addition of catalase to the reactive oxygen species-generating system but not by superoxide dismutase or mannitol, indicating that H(2)O(2) is the responsible metabolite. NOC7 activated the COX-1 activity but inhibited the COX-2 activity at concentrations ranging from 1 to 50 microM. Experiments utilizing a NO* antidote, carboxy-2-phenyl-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl 3-oxide revealed that the observed effects of NOC7 are caused by NO*.ONOO(-), a product of NO* and O(2)*-, both activated and inhibited the COX-1 and -2 activities, depending on ONOO(-) concentration. At a low concentration of ONOO(-) (5 microM) there was enhancement of the COX-1 and -2 activities, but with higher concentrations there was suppression of these two enzyme activities (COX-1, at 200 microM; COX-2, >50 microM). These results suggest that H(2)O(2), NO* and ONOO(-) can have different modulatory effects on the COX-1 and -2 activities.

The endocrine disruptor nonylphenol preferentially blocks cyclooxygenase-1.

The anthropogenic chemicals nonylphenol, bisphenol A, phthalic acid benzyl n-butyl ester, phthalic acid di-n-butyl ester and phthalic acid di(2-ethylhexyl) ester have been shown to possess sex hormone-like activity. To explore the possible actions of these chemicals on the autacoid synthesis in the body, we investigated the effects of nonylphenol, bisphenol A, phthalic acid benzyl n-butyl ester, phthalic acid di-n-butyl ester and phthalic acid di(2-ethylhexyl) ester on the activities of cyclooxygenase-1 and -2. Bisphenol A and all three phthalic acid derivatives had no significant effect on the cyclooxygenase-1 and -2 activities up to 100 microM. On the other hand, nonylphenol exhibited a marked inhibition on the cyclooxygenase-1 activity (10-100 microM nonylphenol, 7-95% inhibition), with no detectable change in the activity of cyclooxygenase-2. The inhibition patterns for the substrate, arachidonic acid, and a cofactor, phenol, were competitive and uncompetitive, respectively. These results suggest that nonylphenol can be a selective inhibitor of cyclooxygenase-1 activity.