Assessment of ferrocytochrome C oxidation by hydrogen peroxide.

The reduction of ferricytochrome C is commonly employed for the quantitation of O2-.H2O2 arising from the dismutation of O2- is capable of oxidizing ferrocytochrome C. In order to assess whether this may interfere with O2- quantitation, the amount of H2O2 required for the oxidation of ferrocytochrome C was determined. While H2O2 concentrations below 10(-5) M were ineffective, one half of the reduced cytochrome was oxidized by 5 x 10(-5) M H2O2 within 15 min. H2O2 in the concentration range at which ferrocytochrome C is oxidized is generated upon interaction of hypoxanthine with xanthine oxidase and upon stimulation of human polymorphonuclear neutrophilic granulocytes by phorbol myristate acetate or the phagocytosis of opsonized zymosan. It is suggested that O2- quantitation by cytochrome C reduction is routinely performed in the presence of catalase.