A reappraisal of leukocyte dehydroascorbate reductase.

Dehydroascorbate reductase (glutathione:dehydroascorbate oxidoreductase, EC 1.8.5.1) activity was determined in human leukocyte homogenates using a direct spectrophotometric assay. Despite previous studies, using a less sensitive coupled assay, which reported that this enzyme was present in leukocytes, we found that neither neutrophil nor chronic lymphocytic leukemia lymphocyte extracts had detectable activity. Furthermore, when the product was quantitated by HPLC, protein-dependent generation could not be demonstrated. Mixing experiments with a partially purified enzyme preparation from spinach leaves provided no evidence for the presence of an inhibitor in neutrophil homogenates. These findings suggest that in human leukocytes, dehydroascorbate reduction does not occur enzymatically.