The major antimicrobial products of neutrophilic myeloperoxidase (MPO) in physiologic fluids are hypochlorous acid (HOCl) and hypothiocyanite (OSCN-), and the former is generally believed to be the killing agent. However, we have determined that HOCl oxidizes SCN- in a facile nonenzymic reaction. The observed kinetics and computational models substantiate the hypothesis that SCN- serves to moderate the potential autotoxicity of HOCl by restricting its lifetime in physiologic fluids. Furthermore, the oxidizing equivalents of HOCl are preserved in OSCN-, a more discriminate biocide that is not lethal to mammalian cells.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.