Oxidation of retinyl acetate and analogues by nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide

Nitric oxide did not react directly with retinyl acetate but, in the presence of an initiator, a series of nitroxide radicals was produced and observed by EPR spectroscopy. Product analyses showed that rapid oxidative degradation of retinyl acetate gave a series of carbonyl compounds. NO operating in concert with a self-derived initiator such as NO2 on unsaturated lipids could account for the cytotoxicity of this molecule.