Effect of hydroxy substituent on the prooxidant action of naphthoquinone compounds

Prooxidant activity of naphthoquinone compounds was analyzed by lipid peroxidation, and the formation of base adduct in DNA. Naphthoquinones with electron-repelling hydroxyl group in the benzene moiety such as juglone and shikonin of lower concentrations stimulated the microsomal lipid peroxidation, but lawsone and lapachol with hydroxyl group in the quinone moiety did not enhance the formation of lipid peroxides. Naphthoquinone-dependent lipid peroxidation was closely related to the enhancement of Fe2+ autooxidation. Treatment of DNA with juglone a representative of 5-hydroxylated naphthoquinone stimulated the formation of 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine, whereas lawsone and lapachol showed negligible formation of DNA base adduct. ESR spectra showed that juglone can form semiquinone radical in the presence of ferrous ion, but lawsone cannot. Biological toxicity of juglone with the potent electron-repelling group at 5-position may be due to the reactive oxygen species formed by semiquinone radical, but naphthoquinone compounds with an electron-repelling group in the quinone moiety, lawsone shows weak toxicity with only a little ability producing reactive oxygen species by the negligible formation of semiquinone.