Slowing of peroxynitrite decomposition in the presence of mannitol and ethanol

The kinetics of peroxynitrite decomposition in the presence of the hydroxyl radical scavengers mannitol and ethanol were studied by stopped-flow spectrophotometry. Mannitol and ethanol decreased the rate of peroxynitrite decomposition in a concentration-dependent manner, following a hyperbolic function. The decreases in peroxynitrite decay rates were observed all throughout the pH range 5.8 to 8.0, In the presence of 100 mM mannitol or ethanol, the first-order rate constant for peroxynitrite decomposition changed from 1.25 +/- 0.01 s(-1) at 25 degrees C, to values of 0.83 +/- 0.01 s(-1) and 0.95 +/- 0.01 s(-1), respectively. One explanation for this decrease in the rate of peroxynitrite decay with mannitol and ethanol could be a stabilizing effect of the substrate by hydrogen bonding! with peroxynitrite, analogous to what has been recently proposed for hydrogen peroxide (Alvarez, B., Denicola, A. and Radi, R. Chem. Res. Toxicol. 8:859-869; 1995). In this sense, kinetic data fitted a mechanism implying fast equilibria between peroxynitrite anion and peroxynitrous acid with the substrates to form the corresponding complexes, The equilibrium constants of complex dissociation were estimated to be (6.7 +/- 0.9) x 10(-3) M and (9.6 +/- 1.5) x 10(-3) M for mannitol and ethanol, respectively. When bonded to mannitol or ethanol, peroxynitrous acid could ionize, too, or decompose at a slower rate than in the absence of substrate, in part to a reactive intermediate which performs oxidations. While mannitol and ethanol inhibit oxidation and nitration processes that occur through the reaction of secondary reactive intermediates of peroxynitrite with target molecules, up to 0.5 M mannitol or ethanol failed to inhibit cysteine oxidation by peroxynitrite at pH 7.4 and 25 degrees C. Thus, the formation of stabilizing complexes would not divert the reaction yield of direct, second order reactions such as thiol oxidation, but highlights the importance of hydrogen bonding and solvent effects on peroxynitrite stability. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Inc.