Abstract

N-acetyl-p-benzoquinone imine (NAPQI), a reactive metabolite of acetaminophen, has previously been shown to be toxic to hepatocytes freshly isolated from rat liver [Mol. Pharmacol. 28:306-311 (1985)] NAPQI arylates and oxidizes cellular thiols, and either one or both reactions may be important in the pathogenesis of cytotoxicity. Two dimethylated analogues of NAPQI, N-acetyl-3,5-dimethyl-p-benzoquinone imine (3,5-diMeNAPQI) and N-acetyl-2,6-dimethyl-p-benzoquinone imine (2,6-diMeNAPQI), were prepared to determine whether one reaction might be more damaging to cells than the other. Of the three quinone imines, the least potent cytotoxin to rat hepatocytes was 3,5-diMeNAPQI. However, the cytotoxicity of 3,5-diMeNAPQI was markedly enhanced by pretreatment of cells with 1,3-bis-(2-chloroethyl)-N-nitrosourea, which inhibits glutathione reductase. Reactions of 3,5-diMeNAPQI with GSH, both chemically and in hepatocytes, indicated that this quinone imine primarily oxidized thiols. These findings were corroborated by results of covalent binding experiments, which showed that radiolabeled 3,5-diMeNAPQI bound only to a small extent to hepatocyte proteins. On the other hand, 2,6-diMeNAPQI, the most potent cytotoxin of the three quinone imines that was investigated bound extensively to hepatocyte proteins. In addition, 2,6-diMeNAPQI reacted with GSH, both chemically and in hepatocytes, to form significant amounts of GSSG. Reduction products of NAPQI and its dimethylated analogues were not important contributors to cytotoxicity or GSSG formation based on the following results: 1) the quinone imines did not increase oxygen consumption by hepatocytes nor did they lead to oxygen uptake in solution; 2) dicoumarol, an inhibitor of the reductase, DT-diaphorase, had no effect on cytotoxicity caused by the quinone imines. Evidence for the involvement of ipso-adducts of the quinone imines in their reactions with cellular thiols is provided by results of investigations on the effects of DTT on the metabolism, covalent protein binding, and cytotoxic effects of the quinone imines.