Effects of oxygen-derived free radicals on connective tissue macromolecules: inhibition by copper-penicillamine complex.

Increasing evidence strongly suggests that oxygen-derived free radicals--such as superoxide ion and secondarily-generated hydroxyl radical and/or singlet oxygen--are mediators of connective tissue damage in inflammatory arthritides. If this is true, substances that scavenge such free radicals may have potential as therapeutic agents in these disorders. This study tested the effect of a scavenger substance, the red-violet copper-penicillamine complex, on reactions involving connective tissue macromolecules and oxygen-derived free radicals. The complex prevented superoxide from impeding collagen gelation, and it also inhibited superoxide from reducing the viscosity of hyaluronic acid solutions.