Iron tetrakis (N-methyl-4 '-pyridyl) porphyrinato (FeTMPyP) is a potent scavenging antioxidant and an inhibitor of stimulant-induced NF-kappa B activation of raw 264.7 macrophages

Metalloporphyrins have been shown to be protective in oxidative stress mode ls. However, the molecular basis for the antioxidative and antiinflammatory activities of iron tetrakis (N-methyl-4'-pyridyl) porphyrinato (FeTMPyP) i s not known. The objective of this study was to determine whether FeTMPyP e xhibited the ability to (1) scavenge reactive oxygen species (ROS), (2) inh ibit the activation of nuclear factor kappa 8 (NF-kappaB), or (3) block the production of interleukin 1 (IL-1) in RAW 264.7 cultured macrophages. The results indicate that FeTMPyP is a potent scavenger of hydroxyl radicals an d superoxide anion radicals, and an effective inhibitor of stimulant-induce d NF-kappaB activation and IL-1 production by RAW 264.7 cells. Therefore, F eTMPyP may be a useful tool to investigate the molecular mechanisms involve d in stimulant-induced signal pathways, and may possess therapeutic utility in diseases associated with overproduction of ROS.