Inactivation of intracellular proteolysis and cathepsin B enzyme activity by dehydroascorbic acid and reactivation by dithiothreitol in perfused rat heart

The selective inhibition of some subcomponents of intracellular protein degradation was characterized under exposure to the cyclic multiketone thiol oxidizing agents dehydroascorbic acid (DHA) and alloxan. Proteins of the isolated perfused rat heart were labeled in vitro with a 10-min infusion of [H-3] leucine, and subsequent release of radiolabeled amino acid from cell proteins was measured. As determined previously, four subcomponents of total proteolysis can be distinguished; the first three subcomponents are reversibly inhibited by the thiol reactive agent diamide: (a) The rapid turnover proteins comprise most of the [H-3] leucine release from 20 min to 3 hr after labeling. (b) Following 3 hr of degradation, the lysosomal (insulin-responsive) subcomponent comprises 35-40% of [H-3] leucine release. (c) A third nonlysosomal (adrenergic-responsive) subcomponent comprises 35%. (d) A fourth nonlysosomal subcomponent consisting of 25% of [3H] leucine release is uninhibited by diamide. Infusion of supraphysiologic DHA (1 mM) or alloxan (1.5 mM) promptly mimicked the proteolytic inhibitory action of diamide on the first three subcomponents, but did not inhibit the diamide-resistant subcomponent. Infusion of a physiologic extracellular DHA concentration of 5 mu M caused little or no change in proteolysis. The proteolytic inhibitory action of DHA (1 mM) could be reversed by concurrent infusion of dithiothreitol (DTT, 1.5 mM) simultaneously with continued DHA. DHA (1 mM) caused direct inhibition of the purified sulfhydryl proteinase cathepsin B (EC 3.4.22.1), which was reversible by subsequent excess DTT (5 mM). Results indicate that a nontoxic endogenous multiketone thiol oxidant can reversibly inhibit some proteolytic processes in viable tissue; however, approximately 25% of the observed proteolysis is uninhibited. Reversible inactivation of sulfhydryl proteinases, including cathepsin B, is among the possible multiple mechanisms of this DHA action. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Inc.