PHARMACOKINETICS OF EXTRACELLULAR-SUPEROXIDE DISMUTASE IN THE VASCULAR SYSTEM

Extracellular-superoxide dismutase C (EC-SOD C) is a secretory tetrameric Cu- and Zn-containing glycoprotein which has high affinity for heparin and heparan sulfate. Upon intravenous injection into rabbits, recombinant human (rh) EC-SOD C was found to be rapidly 97-98% sequestered to the vascular wall, forming an equilibrium with the plasma phase. Recombinant EC-SOD truncation variants with reduced, T216, and without, T213, heparin affinity were found to be sequestered to a reduced extent and not at all, respectively, establishing the importance of the heparin affinity for this behaviour. The halflife of rhEC-SOD C in the vasculature was of the order of 20 h. Injection of large doses resulted in saturation of the binding of rhEC-SOD C to the vascular wall. Scatchard analysis revealed a heterogeneity in affinity of the ligands on the vascular wall. The maximal binding capacity was very high. The equilibration of rhEC-SOD C to the vascular wall of an organ, clamped during enzyme injection, and the primary equilibration phase was studied by comparing binding to a clamped and reperfused kidney with binding to the contralateral control kidney. rhEC-SOD C injected in a low dose was found to equilibrate very slowly to the reperfused kidney with a halftime of about 2 h. With higher rhEC-SOD C doses, at which evidence for saturation is seen, and with the variant rhEC-SOD with reduced heparin affinity, T216, very rapid quilibrations were found. The long vascular halflife, and especially the high affinity for heparan sulfate proteoglycan in the vascular wall, should make parenterally administered rhEC-SOD C a particularly efficient protector against disorders associated with enhanced production of superoxide radicals.