The impact of nitric oxide (NO) synthesis on different biological cascades can rapidly change dependent on the rate of NO formation and composition of the surrounding milieu. With this perspective, we used diaminonaphthalene (DAN) and diaminofluorescein (DAF) to examine the nitrosative chemistry derived from NO and superoxide (O 2 ؊ ) simultaneously generated at nanomolar to low micromolar per minute rates by spermine͞NO decomposition and xanthine oxidasecatalyzed oxidation of hypoxanthine, respectively. Fluorescent triazole product formation from DAN B iosynthesis of nitrogen monoxide (NO) from nitric-oxide synthase (NOS)-catalyzed oxidation of L-arginine can lead to selective formation of NO adducts on protein residues, which modulates homeostatic metabolism and affects numerous pathophysiologic responses. N-nitrosamines and S-nitrosothiols are typically formed via donation of a nitrosonium equivalent (NO ϩ ) from dinitrogen trioxide (N 2 O 3 ) to the nucleophilic residue (1). The function of many proteins has been altered by nitrosation in vitro including caspases (2, 3), glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (4), the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (5, 6), O 6 -methylguanine-DNA-methyltransferase (7, 8), ras (9) and the ryanodine receptor (10).The mechanism through which these modifications may occur in biological systems is a subject of debate. Many have questioned the relevance of nitrosation via NO autoxidation, reasoning that sufficient levels of NO cannot be achieved in vivo to satisfy the rate-limiting step for N 2 O 3 formation, which is second order in [11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20]. In contrast to NO autoxidation, the reaction between NO and superoxide (O 2 Ϫ ) is first order in both reactants and occurs at near diffusion control (21-24). Much emphasis has been placed on the product of this reaction, peroxynitrite (ONOO Ϫ ), as an important mediator of oxidation and nitration (23)(24)(25)(26)(27)(28). In this study, we tested the hypothesis that ONOO Ϫ may also serve as an intermediary in a pathway leading to formation of NO adducts (e.g.,
N-nitrosamines, S-nitrosothiols) in vivo.The results suggest that these moieties may be produced through both nitrosation and oxidative nitrosylation dependent mechanisms, which are strongly influenced by the relative rates of NO and O 2 Ϫ formation. Buffer pH (7.4) and temperature (37°C) were confirmed before each experiment because of the major influence these parameters have on the rate of spermine͞NO decomposition (t 1/2 ϭ 42 min). Rates of NO release were determined by measuring oxymyoglobin oxidation (582 nm, ϭ 9,100 M Ϫ1 ⅐cm Ϫ1 ) in PBS solution containing DTPA and HX (HX buffer, ref. 32). Oxymyoglobin was prepared by reducing myoglobin (500 M; Sigma) in water with excess sodium dithionite (Fluka) followed by passage through a Sephadex G-25 column (PD-10; Amersham Pharmacia). Steady-state NO concentrations were also assessed by using a NO selective electrode (World Precision Instruments, Sarasota, FL) controlled by a DUO18 amplifier. Peak ampl...