Abstract
Degradation of hyaluronic acid (measured viscometrically) by oxygen‐derived free radicals (ODFR) generated 1) by autoxidation of ferrous EDTA chelates and 2) enzymatically by xanthine oxidase and hypoxanthine (XO/HX) was studied. Degradation of hyaluronic acid by XO/HX was strongly inhibited by superoxide dismutase and catalase, whereas degradation of hyaluronic acid by autoxidation of ferrous ions was weakly inhibited by catalase and unaffected by superoxide dismutase. Both ODFR‐producing systems were inhibited by hydroxyl radical scavengers, suggesting that hydroxyl radical was the proximate damaging species in both systems. Penicillamine at concentrations of 1–5 m__M__ stimulated hyaluronic acid degradation by ferrous EDTA chelates but inhibited degradation by the XO/HX system. Higher concentrations of penicillamine and all concentrations studied (1–100 m__M__) of other antiinflammatory drugs (chloroquine, gold sodium thiomalate, and salicylate) inhibited hyaluronic acid degradation by both the autoxidation and enzymatic ODFR‐producing systems, with inhibitory potency similar to that seen with known hydroxyl radical scavengers. Both systems serve as in vitro models of ODFR‐mediated tissue damage which may occur in vivo at sites of inflammation.