Effects of oxygen radicals on cerebral arterioles.

Xanthine oxidase and xanthine, a combination that produces hydrogen peroxide and superoxide anion radical, applied topically in anesthetized cats equipped with cranial windows caused arteriolar dilation during application, sustained dilation 1 h after washout, and reduced reactivity to the vasoconstrictive effects of arterial hypocapnia, discrete lesions of the endothelium, and morphological abnormalities of the vascular smooth muscle by electron microscopy. Similar effects were seen in small, but not in large, arterioles during topical application of hydrogen peroxide or hydrogen peroxide plus ferrous sulfate, a combination that produces free hydroxyl radical. The functional changes caused by xanthine oxidase plus xanthine were inhibited completely by superoxide dismutase plus catalase. Superoxide dismutase or catalase, each by itself, eliminated the residual effects seen after washout and reduced the dilation during application of xanthine oxidase. The results show that superoxide anion radical and hydrogen peroxide produce reversible arteriolar dilation and that consistent vascular damage is produced in the presence of both superoxide anion radical and hydrogen peroxide.