NO scavenging by 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid and 3-hydroxykynurenine: N-nitrosation leads via oxadiazoles to o-quinone diazides

The tryptophan metabolites kynurenine, 3-hydroxykynurenine, anthranilic, 3-hydroxyanthranilic and 3-methoxyanthranilic acids were compared with regard to diazotation by ·NO or NO+, using three different donors, nitrite at pH 5, PAPA-NONOate at pH 7.4 and NO+SbF6− at pH 2.0. With all three sources of NO species, 3-hydroxykynurenine and 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid were readily nitrosated, thereby forming an intensely yellow compound. Nitrosation of the non-hydroxylated analogs did not lead to colored products within the period of observation. Competition experiments, using PAPA-NONOate as NO donor, showed that 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid is a more potent NO scavenger than N-acetylcysteine. Nitrosation of 3-hydroxykynurenine and 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid leads, presumably via a nitrosamine intermediate, to a diazonium ion, which forms an oxadiazole tautomerizing to a yellow o-quinone diazide. While the diazonium-derived quinone diazide is apparently the sole product detected directly after incubation of 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid, additional substances are formed from 3-hydroxykynurenine. Contrary to rapid carbenium ion formation from diazonium ions of non-hydroxylated anilines, nitrogen is practically not released from oxadiazoles/quinone diazides at moderate temperatures. Since carbenium ions are known to cause adduct formation with other biomolecules, and since non-hydroxylated anilines and their aminophenol analogs differ in their reactions following diazotation, these findings should be of relevance for the relative toxicity of anilines.