Adriamycin-dependent peroxidation of rat liver and heart microsomes catalysed by iron chelates and ferritin: Maximum peroxidation at low oxygen partial pressures

NADPH- and iron-dependent lipid peroxidation of rat heart and liver microsomes was measured in the presence and absence of adriamycin. Lipid peroxidation was enhanced by adriamycin when incubated in air and was increased as the pO 2 was lowered, to a maximum of 3–4 times the aerobic level at a pO 2 of approx. 4 mm Hg. Fe-ADP, Fe-ATP and ferritin were able to catalyse adriamycin-dependent peroxidation of microsomes under low p0 2. Superoxide dismutase and catalase had minimal effect. These results indicate that adriamycin-dependent lipid peroxidation is favoured by the low O 2 concentrations that exist in active muscle cells and suggest that ferritin could provide the iron catalyst for the reaction.