Cytotoxicity and cytoprotective activity in naphthalenediols depends on their tendency to form naphthoquinones.

We consider the cytotoxicity and the protection against oxidative stress for members of the naphthalenediol family and the known antioxidant epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). Compounds include the 1,2-naphthalenediol (1,2-ND), 1,4-ND, 2,3-ND, 1,8-ND, and 1,4-dipropyl-2,3-naphthalenediol (DPND). The cell line is an adherent clone of rat pheochromocytoma (PC12-AC). Oxidative stress was induced by the peroxyl radical generator AAPH. The relative order of cytotoxicity was 1,4-ND > 1,2-ND > DPND > 2,3-ND > 1,8-ND > EGCG, with EC(50)'s of 15, 40, 160, >250, >250, >>250 muM, respectively. Despite their high toxicity, both 1,4-ND and 1,2-ND showed narrow zones of protective behavior whereas DPND, 2,3-ND and 1,8-ND and especially EGCG showed an extended protective range. The total protection obtained for the combination of cells/oxidative stressor/protective compounds (PC12-AC/AAPH/naphthalenediols) was defined by an integrated measure, the cytoprotective area (CPA). We relate the observed cytotoxicity and CPA to the different electronic structures of the naphthalenediols, characterized by the first and second bond dissociation enthalpies and the pK(a)'s for parent (diol) and semiquinone. Since the 2,3- and 1,8-naphthalenediols do not form quinones, their cytotoxicity is much lower than for the compounds which do. Thus selected members of the naphthalenediol family show promise as antioxidants.

The L-type calcium channel blockers, hantzsch 1,4-dihydropyridines, are not peroxyl radical-trapping, chain-breaking antioxidants.

The antioxidant properties of Hantzsch 1,4-dihydropyridine esters and two dibenzo-1,4-dihydropyridines, 9,10-dihydroacridine (DHAC) and N-methyl-9,10-dihydroacridine (N-Me-DHAC), have been explored by determining whether they retard the autoxidation of styrene or cumene at 30 degrees C. Despite a claim to the contrary [(2003) Chem. Res. Toxicol. 16, 208-215], the Hantsch esters were found to be virtually inactive as chain-breaking antioxidants (CBAs), their reactivity toward peroxyl radicals being some 5 orders of magnitude lower than that of the excellent CBA, 2,2,5,7,8-pentamethyl-6-hydroxy-chroman (PMHC). DHAC was found to be about a factor of 10 less reactive than PMHC. From kinetic measurements using DHAC, N-deuterio-DHAC, and N-Me-DHAC, it is concluded that it is the N--H hydrogen in DHAC that is abstracted by peroxyl radicals, despite the fact that in DHAC the calculated C-H bond dissociation enthalpy (BDE) is about 11 kcal/mol lower than the N-H BDE. The rates of hydrogen atom abstraction by the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (dpph*) have also been determined for the same series of compounds. The trends in the peroxyl and dpph* rate constants are similar.