BIOCHEMICAL ACTIVATION OF AZQ [3,6-DIAZIRIDINYL-2,5-BIS(CARBOETHOXYAMINO)-1,4-BENZOQUINONE] TO ITS FREE-RADICAL SPECIES

  • 1 January 1982
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 66  (2) , 339-342
Abstract
The azirdinyl quinone, 3,6-diazirdinyl-2,5-bis(carboethoxyamino)-1,4-benzoquinone, is an antitumor agent that enhances electron flow from NADPH to molecular oxygen in rat liver microsomes, rat liver nuclei and purified NADPH-cytochrome c reductase. The process is enzymatic and has an optimum pH of 7.5; NADPH is the preferred cofactor. ESR studies show the presence of a free radical semiquinone characterized by 5 hyperfine lines at g = 2.0046.