[Dinityrosyl Iron Complexes with Thiol-Containing Ligands as a Functionally Active "Working Form" of Nitric Oxide System in Living Organisms: A Review].

Experimental data were summarized to assume that dinitrosyl iron complexes (DNICs) with thiol-containing ligands are an endogenous "working form" of the nitric oxide (NO) system in living organisms. DNICs can function as donors of both neutral NO molecules, which are responsible for positive regulatory effects of the NO system on various physiological and biochemical processes in humans and animals, and nitrosonium cations (NO^(+)), which are responsible mostly for negative cytotoxic activity of the system. Special attention is paid to the finding that DNICs, especially in combination with dithiocarbamate derivatives, suppress SARS-CoV-2 infection in Syrian hamsters.

Antiviral Activity of Nitrosonium Cations against SARS-CoV-2 on a Syrian Hamster Model.

The antiviral action of binuclear dinitrosyl iron complexes with glutathione along with diethyldithiocarbamate against the SARS-CoV-2 virus has been demonstrated on a Syrian hamster model after aerosol exposure of SARS-CoV-2-infected animals to the solutions of said compounds. EPR assays in analogous experiments on intact hamsters have demonstrated that the iron complexes and diethyldithiocarbamate are predominantly localized in lung tissues. These results have been compared with similar measurements on intact mice, which have shown the equal localization of these agents in both the lungs and liver. We assume that the release of the nitrosonium cations from the binuclear dinitrosyl iron complexes with glutathione occurs during their contact with diethyldithiocarbamate in the animal body. These cations caused S-nitrosation of host and viral cell proteases, leading to suppression of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

The Cytostatic Action of Dinitrosyl Iron Complexes with Glutathione on Escherichia coli Cells Is Mediated by Nitrosonium Cations Released from These Complexes.

This study demonstrates a bacteriostatic effect of binuclear dinitrosyl iron complexes with glutathione on Escherichia coli TN300 cells. It has been quantified by the colony formation assay. The bacteriostatic effect exerted by these complexes increases considerably in the presence of diethyldithiocarbamate. Our results suggest that this effect is caused by the intense release of nitrosonium cations, NO+, from the complexes, which decompose under the action of diethyldithiocarbamate. A similar effect is observed when E. coli cells are treated with diethyldithiocarbamate 40 min after the addition of sodium nitrite or S-nitrosoglutathione. Notably, the level of dinitrosyl iron complexes observed in the bacterial cells due to the effects of sodium nitrite or S-nitrosoglutathione is almost the same as that obtained after treatment with glutathione-containing complexes. The bacteriostatic effects of the NO molecules released from nitrite or S-nitrosoglutathione during their brief interaction with bacteria were significantly smaller than the bacteriostatic effect of NO+. We deduce therefrom that the nitrosonium cations released from DNICs are responsible for the observed bacteriostatic effect of these complexes in E. coli cells.

High Dose Inhalation with Gaseous Nitric Oxide in COVID-19 Treatment.

A method of treatment of a new coronavirus infection COVID-19 in patients undergoing high flow oxygenation is proposed and technically implemented; the method is based on high-dose inhalation of gaseous nitric oxide (NO) with the patient's spontaneous breathing. The results of the treatment of this disease demonstrating the high efficiency of the new method are presented. A possible mechanism of the blocking effect of high doses of inhaled nitric oxide on the replication of the SARS-CoV-2 virus is discussed; it is based on the formation of dinitrosyl iron complexes in the respiratory tract and lungs of COVID-19 patients with thiol-containing ligands acting as donors of NO and nitrosonium NO+ cations in a living organism that have a cytotoxic effect on the SARS CoV-2 virus.

Gaseous Nitric Oxide and Dinitrosyl Iron Complexes with Thiol-Containing Ligands as Potential Medicines that Can Relieve COVID-19.

It is shown that the inhalation of gaseous nitric oxide (gNO) or sprayed aqueous solutions of binuclear dinitrosyl iron complexes with glutathione or N-acetyl-L-cysteine by animals or humans provokes no perceptible hypotensive effects. Potentially, these procedures may be useful in COVID-19 treatment. The NO level in complexes with hemoglobin in blood decreases as the gNO concentration in the gas flow produced by the Plazon system increases from 100 to 2100 ppm, so that at 2000 ppm more than one-half of the gas can be incorporated into dinitrosyl complexes formed in tissues of the lungs and respiratory tract. Thus, the effect of gNO inhalation may be similar to that observed after administration of solutions of dinitrosyl iron complexes, namely, to the presence of dinitrosyl iron complexes with thiol-containing ligands in lung and airway tissues. With regard to the hypothesis posited earlier that these complexes can suppress coronavirus replication as donors of nitrosonium cations (Biophysics 65, 818, 2020), it is not inconceivable that administration of gNO or chemically synthesized dinitrosyl iron complexes with thiol-containing ligands may help treat COVID-19. In tests on the authors of this paper as volunteers, the tolerance concentration of gNO inhaled within 15 min was approximately 2000 ppm. In tests on rats that inhaled sprayed aqueous solutions of dinitrosyl iron complexes, their tolerance dose was approximately 0.4 mmol/kg body weight.

Dinitrosyl Iron Complexes with Thiol-Containing Ligands Can Suppress Viral Infections as Donors of the Nitrosonium Cation (Hypothesis).

The appropriateness of verification of the possible antiviral effect of dinitrosyl iron complexes with thiol-containing ligands as donors of nitrosonium cations (NO+) is argued. There is reason to hope that treatment of the human respiratory tract and lungs with sprayed solutions of dinitrosyl iron complexes with glutathione or N-acetylcysteine (NAC) ​​as NO+ donors during COVID-19 infection can initiate S-nitrosylation of cellular proteases and thereby suppress viral infection.

Hypotensive Effect and Accumulation of Dinitrosyl Iron Complexes in Blood and Tissues after Intravenous and Subcutaneous Injection.

Subcutaneous injection of Oxacom with glutathione-bound dinitrosyl iron complex as the active principle produced a slower drop of mean BP and longer accumulation of protein-bound dinitrosyl iron complexes in whole blood and tissues than intravenous injection of this drug, while durations of hypotensive effect in both cases were practically identical. In contrast to intravenous injection of the drug, its subcutaneous administration was not characterized by a high concentration of protein-bound dinitrosyl iron complexes in the blood at the onset of experiment; in addition, accumulation of these NO forms in the lungs was more pronounced after subcutaneous injection than after intravenous one.

[Nitric oxide and electrogenic metals (Ca, Na, K) in epidermal cells].

Using atomic emission spectrometry and EPR analysis metal-ligand homeostasis (MLH) has been studied in epidermal cells of 954 liquidators of the Chernobyl accident and 947 healthy individuals. A possible association of the redox status with the quantitative changes in the MLH, which could be used as discriminators of oxidative/nitrosative stress, attracts special interest. Characteristic features of oxidative stress mainly related to electrogenic metals (Ca, K, Na), were found not only among the liquidators examined, but also in some healthy individuals (18.1%); this suggests the presence of oxidative/nitrosative stress of non-radiation origin. Correlation between intracellular production of nitric oxide (NO) with quantitative changes in the electrogenic metals may indicate the possible involvement of NO in the generation of an electric potential of the cell.

[Mono- and Binuclear Dinitrosyl Iron Complexes with Thiol-containing Ligands in Various Biosystems].

It has been shown that dinitrosyl iron complexes with thiol-containing ligands, bound with modified bovine serum albumin with high amount of thiol groups, appeared in baker yeast or in animal tissues in the presence of exogenous or endogenous nitric oxide, respectively, are represented predominantly by EPR-silent binuclear form. This form can be transformed into EPR-active mononuclear form of dinitrosyl iron complexes with an increase in pH to basic values, into EPR-active form of mononuclear iron nitrosyl complexes in case of bielectronic recovery of the binuclear form of dinitrosyl iron complexes or under the action of dithiocarbamate derivatives. The latter induced the transformation of dinitrosyl iron complexes into EPR-active mononitrosyl iron complexes with dithiocarbamates. A significant amount of binuclear dinitrosyl iron complexes with thiol-containing ligands in living systems and identical biological activity of these complexes and endogenous nitric oxide systems allow of considering endogenous binuclear dinitrosyl iron complexes as a "working form" of endogenous nitric oxide recognized now as a universal regulator of biological processes.

[Comparative analysis of action of nitric oxide as a free radical and its storage form on the state of pro- and antioxidant blood systems].

The dynamics of oxidative metabolism in healthy people's blood (n = 30) under the influence of gaseous nitric oxide and dinitrosyl iron complexes is explored. In all blood samples we studied lipid peroxidation intensity and malonic dialdehyde in plasma and erythrocytes, plasma antioxidant potential and activity of superoxide dismutase. During our investigations it was possible for the first time to identify the peculiarities in the responses of pro- and antioxidant blood systems in vitro to the treatment with nitrogen monoxide as the free. radical and its storage form (as a component of dinitrosyl iron complexes). So, a pronounced prooxidant effect for the gas flow from the "Plazon" apparatus moderately decreases when a tenfold dilution of a NO-containing mixture is made. Gas flow from the experimental NO-generator causes minimal prooxidant action, and injection of water solution of dinitrosyl iron complexes in blood specimens leads to an antioxidant action, as limitation of lipoperoxidation processes in plasma and stimulation of superoxide dismutase in erythrocytes.

[Transport of dinitrosyl iron complexes into animal lungs].

Effective accumulation of binuclear dinitrosyl iron complexes with glutathione was shown after a subcutaneous para lymphatic injection of an aqueous solution of a dinitrosyl-iron complex into animal lung tissue at a single-dose of 2 micromoles per kilogram two times a day with a 2-h interval. Two hours later after the administration was repeated the concentration of these complexes was 16 micromoles per kilogram of tissue dropping down for the last two hours to 7 micromoles per kilogram of tissue. At one dose injection of binuclear dinitrosyl iron complexes with glutathione their concentration in 2 and 4 hours was two times lower than in the previous experiments. Presumably at the obtained concentration of dinitrosyl iron complexes a bactericidal effect in lungs can be observed against mycobacterium tuberculosis and rapidly proliferating lung tumors.

[Anti-nitrosative system as a factor of malignant tumor resistance to cytotoxic effect of nitrogen monooxide].

The inhibitory action of binuclear dinitrosyl iron complexes with glutathione on the growth of implanted solid tumor in BDF1 mice bearing Lewis lung carcinoma cells was found. The effect was induced by intraperitoneal injection of the binuclear dinitrosyl iron complexes to mice at a dose of 200 µM/kg daily on days 1-5 and 7-11. At the binuclear dinitrosyl iron complexes: free glutathione ratios of 1:1; and 1:10 in solutions, the inhibitory effect of the DNICs reached the level of 70% and 85%, respectively. When B-DNICs were not further infused, intensive tumor growth, a more rapid rate of tumor growth than control, was observed. The selective accumulation of DNICs as well as iron nitrosyl complexes of heme-containing proteins in tumors were detected by EPR method. The latter were found also in the tumors in control animals. Tumor growth delay in course of B-DNIC administration to the mice is supposed to be due to the elaboration of anti-nitrosative defense in tumor tissue in response to the action of NO released from B-DNIC.

[Anti-Tumour Activity of Dinitrosyl Iron Complex with Glutathione and S-Nitrosoglutathione Preparations: Comparative Studies].

The anti-tumor activity of the binuclear form of dinitrosyl iron complexes with glutathione against Lewis lung carcinoma, found earlier upon intraperitoneal administration of the complexes, was also observed when this preparation was injected subcutaneously. A 100 µM/kg subcutaneous dose of the complex being used daily (as calculated per one iron atom in binuclear dinitrosyl iron complexes) for 10 or 15 days, inhibited the tumor growth by 43%. The effect was observed during the first two weeks after tumor transplantation. After that, the tumors began to grow at the rate equal to or even higher than that one for control animals. The mean survival time for treated mice exceeded the control values by 30%. Binuclear dinitrosyl iron complexes administered intraperitoneally was also effective against Ca-755 adenocarcinoma. However, in this case the mean survival time for treated animals increased only by 7%. The anti-tumor activity of S-nitrosoglutathione against Lewis lung carcinoma growth inhibition by 70% and Ca-755 adenocarcinoma growth inhibition by 90% was also shown. However, unlike binuclear dinitrosyl iron complexes the anti-tumor effect of S-nitrosoglutathione decreased when a daily dose of the compound increased (from 200 to 400 µM/kg) The initial anti-tumor effect of binuclear dinitrosyl iron complexes and S-nitrosoglutathione is suggested to be due to NO released from both compounds. A subsequent suppression of the effect is determined by the development of anti-nitrosative and anti-oxidant defense systems in tumors.

[Effect of dinitrosyl iron complexes on erythrocyte energy metabolism under thermal trauma conditions].

The effect of dinitrosyl iron complexes (DNIC) on the energy metabolism of erythrocytes under combined thermal trauma conditions has been studied on a group of 30 Wistar rats, which was divided into 3 groups: intact (n = 10), control (n = 10), and main (n = 10). Combined thermal trauma (skin burn + thermoinhalation damage) was modeled in animals of the control and main groups. Rats of control group received infusions of sodium chloride solution (n = 10) every day. Rats of the main group obtained infusions of DNIC solution in sodium chloride. Rat blood samples were characterized by the activity of lactate dehydrogenase in direct and reverse reaction, lactate level, and coefficients of the substrate provision and energy reactions balance. It was stated, that DNIC clearly normalized the energy metabolism of erythrocytes beginning with the third day after thermal trauma onset.

[Physico-chemistry of dinitrosyl iron complexes with thiol-containing ligands underlying their beneficial treatment of endometriosis].

Exogenous dinitrosyl iron complexes (DNIC) with thiol-containing ligands as NO and NO+ donors are capable of exerting both regulatory and cytotoxic effects on diverse biological processes similarly to those characteristic of endogenous nitric oxide. Regulatory activity of DNIC (vasodilation, hypotension, trombosis suppression, red blood cell elasticity increasing, skin wound healing acceleration, penile erection inducing, etc) is determined by their capacity of NO and NO+ transfer to biological targets of the latter (hemo- and thiol-containing proteins, respectively) due to higher affinity of the proteins for NO and NO+ than that of DNIC. Cytotoxic activity of DNIC is endowed with rapid DNIC decomposition under action of iron-chelating compounds resulting in appearance of NO and NO+ in cells and tissues in high amount. The latter mechanism is suggested to cause the blocking effect of DNIC as cytotoxic effectors on the development of benign endometrial tumors in rats with experimental endometriosis. It is also proposed that. a similar mechanism can operate causing at least a delay of malignant tumor proliferation under action of DNIC.

[Anti-tumour activity of dinitrosyl iron complexes with glutathione].

The anti-tumour dose-dependent effect of binuclear dinitrosyl iron complexes with glutathione as NO donors on solid tumour in the mouse Lewis lung carcinome was detected. The complexes being injected at the doses of 21, 42, 105 mg/kg daily during 10 days blocked completely the development of the tumour for the first week after tumour cell implantation into animals. After that, the part of tumour cells which remained in intact alive state began to grow at the rate equal to that for control animals. The effect was proposed to be caused via the formation of the anti-nitrosative defense system in the cells as a response to NO attack to cells. It was also hypothesized that this system can be inactivated by higher doses of dinitrosyl iron complexes. The data were obtained which were in line with the hypothesis.

[Formation of a new type of dinitrosyl iron complexes bound to cysteine modified with methylglyoxal].

It has been shown that interaction of cysteine dinitrosyl iron complexes with methylglyoxal leads to the formation of a new type of dinitrosyl iron complexes., EPR spectrum of these complexes essentially differs from spectra of dinitrosyl iron complexes containing unmodified thiol. The products of the cysteine reaction with methylglyoxal are hemithioacetals, Schiff bases and thiazolidines, which most likely serve as ligands for the new type of dinitrosyl iron complexes. It has been shown that the new type of dinitrosyl iron complexes as cysteine dinitrosyl iron complexes, which are physiological donors of nitric oxide, exert a vasodilator effect. It has also been found that the oxidative destruction of the new type of dinitrosyl iron complexes occurs at normal oxygen partial pressure, but these dinitrosyl iron complexes remain rather stable under hypoxia modeling. An assumption that the destruction of the new type of dinitrosyl iron complexes is caused by the formation of a bound peroxynitrite-containing intermediate is made.

[Transformations of dinitrosyl iron complexes in an isolated rat heart after introduction of this substance into perfusion medium].

The objective of the present research was to study transformations of various physiological NO forms in an isolated rat heart, perfused with the medium, containing dinitrosyl iron complexes with glutathione ligand (DNIC-GH). We showed that such aerobic perfusion resulted in accumulation of mostly diamagnetic NO physiological forms (S-nitrosothiols) in myocardial tissue. They were transformed into protein-bound mononuclear dinitrosyl iron complexes during subsequent total ischemia. Meantime, DNIC-GH injection on the onset of ischemia resulted in the changes in the state of mitochondrial respiratory state, characterized by the increase in myocardial concentration of flavosemiquinones.

[Introduction of dinitrosyl iron complexes with thiol-containing ligands into animal organism by inhalation method].

The possibility of water-soluble dinitrosyl iron complexes (DNIC) with thiol-containing ligands introduction into lungs and other tissues of mice by free inhalation of little drops (2-3 microns diameter) of the solutions of these complexes was investigated. Little drops of 2-20 mM solutions of the complexes were obtained by using an inhalation apparatus (compressor nebulizer). A cloud of these little drops was then inhaled by animals in a closed chamber. A maximal amount of protein-bound DNICs formed in mouse lungs was 0.6 micromoles per kilogram of tissue weight. The amount of DNIC in lungs, liver and blood decreased to the undetected level within 2-3 hours after inhalation. No cytotoxic effect of DNIC formed in lungs on Mycobacterium tuberculosis was found in mice infected with these mycobacteria.