Oxidation of neutrophil glutathione and protein thiols by myeloperoxidase-derived hypochlorous acid

Neutrophils, when stimulated, generate reactive oxygen species including myeloperoxidase-derived HOCl. There is an associated decrease in reduced glutathione (GSH) concentration. We have shown that neutrophil GSH levels decrease on exposure to reagent HOCl, whereas the equivalent concentration of H2O2 had no effect. GSH loss occurred without cell lysis, was not reversible, and was accompanied by the loss of an equivalent proportion of the total protein thiols. No glutathione disulphide was formed. Studies with S-35-labelled cells indicated that much of the GSH lost was accounted for by mixed disulphides with protein and a product that co-migrated on HPLC with a novel compound formed in the reaction of HOCl and pure GSH. The properties of this compound are consistent with an intramolecular sulphonamide. Neutrophils stimulated with PMA lost 30-40 % of their GSH and a similar proportion of protein thiols. Little glutathione disulphide was formed and the products were the same as seen with HOCl-treated cells. From these results and studies with inhibitors and scavengers, we conclude that HOCl was responsible for the GSH loss. Propargylglycine and buthionine sulphoximine, inhibitors of glutathione synthesis, enhanced GSH loss, but their effects were due to the production of long-lived chloramines that oxidized GSH with greater efficiency than HOCl, rather than to the inhibition of GSH synthesis. The lack of thiol selectivity by HOCl and irreversibility of oxidation means that GSH will provide limited antioxidant protection for thiol enzymes in stimulated neutrophils.