The ability of new sugar-modified derivatives of antitumor anthracycline, daunorubicin, to stimulate NAD(P)H oxidation in different cellular oxidoreductase systems: NADH dehydrogenase, NADPH cytochrome P450 reductase, and xanthine oxidase: NADH dehydrogenase, NADPH cytochrome P450 reductase, and xanthine oxidase

Numerous data indicate that cellular oxidoreductases may be responsible for the cardiotoxic effects of antitumor anthracycline drugs as a consequence of the mediation by these agents of one-electron transfer from reduced nucleotides to atmospheric oxygen. This process is catalyzed primarily by NADH dehydrogenase, NADPH cytochrome P450 reductase, and xanthine oxidase and leads to the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). In this work the data on the ability of new amino sugar derivatives of daunorubicin to stimulate NAD(P)H oxidation in the above oxidoreductase systems are presented. They represent analogues of daunorubicin in which the amino sugar nitrogen is bounded to an unsubsituted, or amino- or nitro-substituted benzyl group. It was found that the ability of examined sugar-modified derivatives of daunorubicin to stimulate NAD(P)H oxidation differs considerably depending on the subsituent in the phenyl ring. It was also determined that this ability was not identical in the three enzymatic systems studied, showing that these derivatives have different affinities for the enzymes examined. More similarities were observed in their interaction with NADH dehydrogenase and NADPH cytochrome P450 reductase than with xanthine oxidase.