Ascorbate is the principal reductant of chromium(VI) in rat lung ultrafiltrates and cytosols, and mediates chromium–DNA binding in vitro

Chromium(VI) reductase activity was measured in ultrafiltrates of rat lung after various pretreatments in vitro at 37 degrees C and pH 7.0. Pretreatment of ultrafiltrates with L-ascorbate oxidase (EC 1.10.3.3), which specifically eliminated ascorbate, blocked approximately 95% of chromium(VI) reductase activity in ultrafiltrates. Preincubation of ultrafiltrates with heat-denatured ascorbate oxidase or the sulfhydryl-blocking agent N-ethylmaleimide (NEM) had no significant effect on Cr(VI) reductase activity. In rat lung cytosols, L-ascorbate oxidase blocked approximately 95% and NEM blocked approximately 15% of Cr(VI) reductase activity. The extent of inhibition of Cr(VI) reductase activity in cytosols by L-ascorbate oxidase was significantly decreased to approximately 75% after addition of 1.0 mM NADPH. When Cr(VI) was incubated with salmon sperm nuclei suspended in rat lung cytosol for 15 min, Cr became bound to nuclear DNA. This Cr-DNA binding was completely inhibited by preincubation of rat lung cytosols with L-ascorbate oxidase and inhibited approximately 60% by preincubation with NEM. Taken together these data suggest that ascorbate and/or ascorbate-dependent factors are the principal reductants of Cr(VI) in both ultrafiltrates and cytosols prepared from rat lung and ascorbate-dependent metabolism of Cr(VI) results in Cr binding to nuclear DNA in vitro. Although sulfhydryl-containing factors and NADPH-dependent factors only make a minor contribution to Cr(VI) reduction in rat lung cytosols, sulfhydryls may be significantly involved in the binding of Cr to nuclear DNA.