A Chain Reaction of Adrenaline Autoxidation Is a Model of Quinoid Oxidation of Catecholamines
The focus of this review is on published data and our own studies of the non-trivial quinoid pathway for the oxidation of adrenaline. Similarly, all catecholamines can be oxidized with the formation of the corresponding aminochromes. This process is simulated in vitro in alkaline medium and is known as a chain reaction of adrenaline autoxidation, the reaction products of which are adrenochrome and compounds in the radical form such as superoxide anions (О2-●) and others. As a superoxide-generating model, this reaction was used to determine the activity of superoxide dismutase. In our studies, some new approaches have been proposed to determine the activity of the enzyme and reveal the anti/prooxidant properties of various compounds and materials. This pathway of the conversion of one of catecholamines (dopamine) currently is described as “a preclinical model of Parkinson's disease”. In this regard, we offered that the reaction of adrenaline autoxidation can be used for a search for substances that are able to inhibit the process of quinoid oxidation, in other words, to detect potential neuroprotectors. Experimental and theoretical studies of this reaction provide new insights into understanding the mechanisms of free radical processes that occur in the body.