LUCIGENIN REDUCTION BY NADPH-CYTOCHROME P450 REDUCTASE AND THE EFFECTOF PHOSPHOLIPIDS AND ALBUMIN ON CHEMILUMINESCENCE

To assess lucigenin, a chemilumigenic probe, as a detector of superoxi de anion in microsomes, NADPH oxidation, lucigenin disappearance, and chemiluminescence in a system including purified NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase were examined. NADPH oxidation was increased by adding luci genin, and concurrently, its disappearance and oxygen consumption were also stimulated. Chemiluminescence. which is negligibly emitted in th e presence of the reductase alone, was remarkably amplified with phosp holipids and albumin. Menadione inhibited lucigenin disappearance resu lting in suppression of chemiluminescence. Lucigenin chemiluminescence measured in microsomes appears not to reflect direct superoxide anion production from microsomal components and from quinones, such as mena dione.