Comparison of antioxidant activities of aminoguanidine, methylguanidine and guanidine by luminol‐enhanced chemiluminescence

Abstract

1. The objective of this study was to investigate the ability of aminoguanidine, methylguanidine and guanidine to inhibit free radicals or metabolites generated by either stimulated human leucocytes or cell-free systems using luminol-enhanced chemiluminescence (CL). 2. Aminoguanidine (0.1 microM-10 mM), methylguanidine (10 microM-10 mM) and guanidine (10 microM-10 mM) produced concentration-dependent inhibition (96+/-0.1%, n=7, 59+/-1.3%, n=6, and 62+/-3%, n=6, P or = 0.1 mM) of methylguanidine have direct scavenging activities against H2O2, HOCl, hydroxyl radical and peroxynitrite. Guanidine, at a high concentration (> or = 0.1 mM), scavenges H2O2, HOCl and peroxynitrite, but not the hydroxyl radical. These direct scavenging properties may contribute to inhibitory effects of these compounds on human leucocyte CL.