Antioxidative action of the nitrovasodilator nicorandil: inhibition of oxidative activation of liver microsomal glutathione S-transferase and lipid peroxidation.

Antioxidative effects of the nitrovasodilator nicorandil (SG-75) and denitrated SG-75 (SG-86) were examined in vivo and in vitro. When the isolated rat liver was reperfused with Krebs-Henseleit solution after a 90-min ischemia, microsomal GSH S-transferase activity was increased significantly by oxidative modification of the sulfhydryl group of the enzyme. The increase in the transferase activity after ischemia/reperfusion was depressed by SG-75 but not by SG-86. Furthermore, only SG-75 significantly inhibited lipid peroxidation and the activation of microsomal GSH S-transferase induced by hydrogen peroxide treatment of liver microsomes. These data indicate that SG-75 has an antioxidative action and the nitro group of SG-75 may play a critical role for this action.