Study of activated oxygen production by some thiols using chemiluminescence.

2-3-dimercapto-1-propane sulfonic acid, D-penicillamine and meso-dimercapto succinic acid, drugs widely applied as antidota against metal poisoning, and cysteine and glutathione were studied with respect to their ability to generate and to scavenge superoxide anion radical. Superoxide production and scavenging were tested by means of luminol-dependent chemiluminescence. In presence of 1 mumol/l ADP-Fe3+ only cysteine and meso-dimercapto succinic acid induced chemiluminescence which could be inhibited by superoxide dismutase. 2,3-dimercapto-1-propane sulfonic acid, D-penicillamine and glutathione acted as O2- scavengers. These thiols inhibited O2(-)-dependent lipid peroxidation thus acting as antioxidants, whereas cysteine and meso-dimercapto succinic acid accelerated peroxidation. It is suggested that the toxic side effects of thiols may be due to their ability to generate or to scavenge free radicals.