REACTION BETWEEN S-NITROSOTHIOLS AND THIOLS - GENERATION OF NITROXYL (HNO) AND SUBSEQUENT CHEMISTRY

S-Nitrosothiols have been implicated to play key roles in a variety of physiological processes. The potential physiological importance of S- nitrosothiols prompted us to examine their reaction with thiols. We fi nd that S-nitrosothiols can react with thiols to generate nitroxyl (HN O) and the corresponding disulfide. Further reaction of HNO with the r emaining S-nitrosothiol and thiol results in the generation of other s pecies including NO, sulfinamide, and hydroxylamine. Mechanisms are pr oposed that rationalize the observed products.