Vanadium(IV)-mediated free radical generation and related 2′-deoxyguanosine hydroxylation and DNA damage

Free radical generation, 2′-deoxyguanosine (dG) hydroxylation and DNA damage by vanadium(IV) reactions were investigated. Vanadium(IV) caused molecular oxygen dependent dG hydroxylation to form 8-hydroxyl-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG). During a 15 min incubation of 1.0 mM dG and 1.0 mM VOSO 4 in phosphate buffer solution (pH 7.4) at room temperature under ambient air, dG was converted to 8-OHdG with a yield of about 0.31%. Catalase and formate inhibited the 8-OHdG formation while Superoxide dismutase enhanced it. Metal ion chelators, DTPA and deferoxamine, blocked the 8-OHdG formation. Incubation of vanadium(IV) with dG in argon did not generate any significant amount of 8-OHdG, indicating the role of molecular oxygen in the mechanism of vanadium(IV)-induced dG hydroxylation. Vanadium(IV) also caused molecular oxygen-dependent DNA strand breaks in a pattern similar to that observed for dG hydroxylation. ESR spin trapping measurements demonstrated that the reaction of vanadium(IV) with H 2O 2 generated OH radicals, which were inhibited by DTPA and deferoxamine. Incubation of vanadium(IV) with dG or with DNA in the presence of H 2O 2 resulted in an enhanced 8-OHdG formation and substantial DNA double strand breaks. Sodium formate inhibited 8-OHdG formation while DTPA had no significant effect. Deferoxamine enhanced the 8-OHdG generation by 2.5-fold. ESR and UV measurements provided evidence for the complex formation between vanadium(IV) and deferoxamine. UV-visible measurements indicate that dG, vanadium(IV) and deferoxamine are able to form a complex, thereby, facilitating site-specific 8-OHdG formation. Reaction of vanadium(IV) with t-butyl hydroperoxide generated hydroperoxide-derived free radicals, which caused 8-OHdG formation from dG and DNA strand breaks. DTPA and deferoxamine attenuated vanadium(IV)/r-butyl-OOH-induced DNA strand breaks.