How should xanthine oxidase–generated superoxide yields be measured?

The rate of formation of superoxide measured by its reduction of tetranitromethane (TNM) and by its reduction of ferric cytochrome c (FeIII cc) are in excellent agreement when the superoxide is generated from a simple chemical precursor. In contrast, the rate of formation of superoxide generated in the reaction of xanthine oxidase with acetaldehyde is much higher (up to a factor of 6) when measured with TNM and compared with FeIII cc. It is shown that FeIII cc measures superoxide that has diffused from the enzyme, and that TNM probably scavenges all the dioxygen that is reduced by one electron by the enzyme. The TNM traps enzyme-bound superoxide in competition with the second-electron transfer and proton transfer, which normally yield hydrogen peroxide. The proton transfer is probably rate determining, kp ≤ 3.8×103s−1.