We have explored the impact of nitric oxide (NO) exposure on oxidation damage of lipids, and proteins, and the contribution of this type of damage to the activation of the apoptotic program in insulin secreting RINm5F cells. Exposure of cells to NO donors and to interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) led to generation of lipooxidation products such as malondialdehyde (MDA) and 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE). Addition of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (Cat) to cells decreased by 50% MDA and 4-HNE production induced by IL-1β. Over-expression of Mn-SOD in cells conferred a remarkable decrease (75%) in IL-1β-induced lipid peroxidation. These data suggest that peroxynitrite (ONOO-) mediates peroxidative damage to lipids in this cell system. Inhibitors of advanced lipooxidation end products (ALEs) formation such as aminoguanidine (AG) and pyridoxamine (PM) prevented partially apoptotic events triggered by NO such as DNA fragmentation, caspase-3 activation and cytochrome c release from mitochondria. These findings indicate that ALEs are involved in NO-induced apoptosis. In fact, NO-induced carbonylation of PARP protein preceded its apoptotic degradation and inhibitors of ALEs formation prevented both events. We thus propose that carbonylation of proteins is instrumental in linking NO-dependent lipid oxidation and apoptosis in this cell system. © 2003 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.