The Ascorbic Acid-Dependent Oxidation of Reduced Nicotinamide- Adenine Dinucleotide by Ciliary and Retinal Microsomes THE EFFECT OF SOME PHARMACOLOGICALLY ACTIVE COMPOUNDS ON THIS REACTION BY H. HEATH AND ROSEMARY FIDDICK

1. The presence ofan ascorbic acid-dependent NADH oxidation in ocular tissues has been established. Subcellular fractionation revealed that the enzyme is localized in the microsomes. The distribution of the enzyme in some ocular tissues has been determined; microsomes from the ciliary processes and the retina have comparable activities, which are much higher than those from the cornea or lens. 2. NADPH cannot replace NADH, and cysteine, reduced glutathione, ergothioneine and dehydroascorbic acid cannot be substituted for ascorbic acid in the reaction. The rate of NADH oxidation was greatly increased in the presence of cucumber ascorbate oxidase, and the enzyme appears to be NADH-monodehydroascorbate transhydrogenase. 3. Cytochrome b5 is present in retinal microsomes. 4. The enzyme is inhibited by p-chloromercuribenzoate and iodoacetate, but not by cyanide, Amytal or malonate. 5. High concentrations of chloroquine cause