Anti-inflammatory activity of superoxide dismutases: comparison of enzymes from different sources in different models in rats: mechanism of action.

Comparison of the anti-inflammatory properties of superoxide dismutases from different sources using different models (carrageenan and adriamycin induced inflammation, adjuvant-induced arthritis) in rats shows a very wide range of activity from extremely good to zero. Neither circulating life time nor intracellular penetration are of importance. The mechanism of biological activity of the SODs is discussed in detail, and binding to an interphase situation on the outer cell surface is postulated. As a consequence of these various considerations it is predicted that clinical application of human Cu-SOD in humans may well be much less spectacular than is commonly assumed, and indeed may be somewhat disappointing.