Reactions of copper complexes with oxygen radicals generated by human neutrophils.

The intensity of the chemiluminescence of unstimulated human neutrophils in the presence of luminol was used to investigate the effects of low-molecular-weight copper complexes at the cellular level. In different models (superoxide dismutase mimetic activity, inhibition of haematoporphyrin derivative/light-induced lysis of cells), the biological activity of the complexes exceeded the activity of the ligands alone.