The reduction of hexavalent chromium, Cr(VI), can generate reactive Cr intermediates and various types of oxidative stress. The potential role of human microsomal enzymes in free radical generation was examined using reconstituted proteoliposomes (PLs) containing purified cytochrome b 5 and NADPH:P450 reductase. Under aerobic conditions, the PLs reduced Cr(VI) to Cr(V) which was confirmed by ESR using isotopically pure 53 Cr(VI). When 5-Diethoxyphos-phoryl-5-methyl-1-pyrroline-N-oxide (DEPMPO) was included as a spin trap, a very prominent signal for the hydroxyl radical (HO • ) adduct was observed as well as a smaller signal for the superoxide (O 2 •− ) adduct. These adducts were observed even at very low Cr(VI) concentrations (10 μM). NADPH, Cr(VI), O 2 and the PLs were all required for significant HO • generation. Superoxide dismutase eliminated the O 2 • − adduct and resulted in a 30% increase in the HO • adduct. Catalase largely diminished the HO • adduct signal indicating its dependence on H 2 O 2 . Some sources of catalase were found to have Cr(VI)-reducing contaminants which could confound results, but a source of catalase free of these contaminants was used for these studies. Exogenous H 2 O 2 was not needed, indicating that it was generated by the PLs. Adding exogenous H 2 O 2 , however, did increase the amount of DEPMPO/ HO • adduct. The inclusion of formate yielded the carbon dioxide radical adduct of DEPMPO, and experiments with dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) plus the spin trap α-phenyl-N-tert-butylnitrone (PBN) yielded the methoxy and methyl radical adducts of PBN, confirming the generation of HO • . Quantification of the various species over time was consistent with a stoichiometric excess of HO • relative to the net amount of Cr(VI) reduced. This also represents the first demonstration of a role for cytochrome b 5 in the generation of HO • . Overall, the simultaneous generation of Cr(V) and H 2 O 2 by the PLs and the resulting generation of HO • at low Cr(VI) concentrations could have important implications for Cr(VI) toxicity.

Chromium(VI) compounds (e.g. chromates) are cytotoxic, mutagenic, and potentially carcinogenic. The reduction of Cr(VI) can yield reactive intermediates such as Cr(V) and reactive oxygen species. Bronchial epithelial cells are the primary site of pulmonary exposure to inhaled Cr(VI) and are the primary cells from which Cr(VI)-associated human cancers arise. BEAS-2B cells were used here as a model of normal human bronchial epithelium for studies on the reductive activation of Cr(VI). Cells incubated with Na 2 CrO 4 exhibited two Cr(V) ESR signals, g = 1.979 and 1.985, which persisted for at least one hour. The g = 1.979 signal is similar to that generated in vitro by human microsomes and by proteoliposomes containing P450 reductase and cytochrome b 5 . Unlike many cells in culture, these cells continued to express P450 reductase and cytochrome b 5 . Studies with the non-selective thiol oxidant diamide indicated that the g = 1.985 signal was thiol-dependent whereas the g = 1.979 signal was not. Pretreatment with phenazine methosulfate eliminated both Cr(V) signals suggesting that Cr(V) generation is largely NAD(P)H-dependent. ESR spectra indicated that a portion of the Cr (VI) was rapidly reduced to Cr(III). Cells incubated with an insoluble chromate, ZnCrO 4 , also generated both Cr(V) signals, whereas Cr(V) was not detected with insoluble PbCrO 4 . In clonogenic assays, the cells were very sensitive to Na 2 CrO 4 and ZnCrO 4 , but considerably less sensitive to PbCrO 4 .

Chromium (Cr) is a cytotoxic metal that can be associated with a variety of types of DNA damage, including Cr-DNA adducts and strand breaks. Prior studies with purified human cytochrome b 5 and NADPH :P450 reductase in reconstituted proteoliposomes (PLs) demonstrated rapid reduction of Cr VI (hexavalent chromium, as ), and the generation of Cr V , superoxide , and hydroxyl radical (HO˙). Studies reported here examined the potential for the species produced by this system to interact with DNA. Strand breaks of purified plasmid DNA increased over time aerobically, but were not observed in the absence of O 2 . Cr V is formed under both conditions, so the breaks are not mediated directly by Cr V . The aerobic strand breaks were significantly prevented by catalase and EtOH, but not by the metal chelator diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA), suggesting that they are largely due to HO˙ from Cr-mediated redox cycling. EPR was used to assess the formation of Cr-DNA complexes. Following a 10-min incubation of PLs, , and plasmid DNA, intense EPR signals at g = 5.7and g = 5.0 were observed. These signals are attributed to specific Cr III complexes with large zero field splitting (ZFS). Without DNA, the signals in the g = 5 region were weak. The large ZFS signals were not seen, when Cr III Cl 3 was incubated with DNA, suggesting that the Cr III -DNA interactions are different when generated by the PLs. After 24 h, a broad signal at g = 2 is attributed to Cr III complexes with a small ZFS. This g = 2 signal was observed without DNA, but it was different from that seen with plasmid. It is concluded that EPR can detect specific Cr III complexes that depend on the presence of plasmid DNA and the manner in which the Cr III is formed.