MECHANISM OF INHIBITORY EFFECTS OF CHELATING DRUGS ON LIPID-PEROXIDATION IN RAT-BRAIN HOMOGENATES

The mechanism of the inhibitory effects of chelators (desferrioxamine, EDTA, rutin, phenanthroline and ADP) on the production of oxygen radi cals in the Fenton reaction and on lipid peroxidation of rat brain hom ogenates has been studied. It was found that the inhibitory effects of the chelators correlated well with their abilities to oxidize ferrous ions in solution and brain homogenates. On these grounds, it was conc luded that the oxidation of Fe2+ ions inside a ferrous ion-chelator co mplex is a major mechanism of inhibitory effects of these chelators on free radical processes. It is proposed that this mechanism is also re alized during therapeutic treatment with chelators of patients with '' free radical'' pathologies such as Fanconi anemia, beta-thalassemia an d Diamond-Blackfan anemia.