Aminoacetone (AA) is a threonine and glycine metabolite overproduced and recently implicated as a contributing source of methylglyoxal (MG) in conditions of ketosis. Oxidation of AA to MG, NH4+, and H2O2 has been reported to be catalyzed by a copper-dependent semicarbazide sensitive amine oxidase (SSAO) as well as by copper- and iron ion-catalyzed reactions with oxygen. We previously demonstrated that AA-generated O2*-. and enoyl radical (AA*) induce dose-dependent Fe(II) release from horse spleen ferritin (HoSF); no reaction occurs under nitrogen. In the present study we further explored the mechanism of iron release and the effect of AA on the ferritin apoprotein. Iron chelators such as EDTA, ATP and citrate, and phosphate accelerated AA-promoted iron release from HoSF, which was faster in horse spleen isoferritins containing larger amounts of phosphate in the core. Incubation of apoferritin with AA (2.5-50 mM, after 6 h) changes the apoprotein electrophoretic behavior, suggesting a structural modification of the apoprotein by AA-generated ROS. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) was able to partially protect apoferritin from structural modification whereas catalase, ethanol, and mannitol were ineffective in protection. Incubation of apoferritin with AA (1-10 mM) produced a dose-dependent decrease in tryptophan fluorescence (13-30%, after 5 h), and a partial depletion of protein thiols (29% after 24 h). The AA promoted damage to apoferritin produced a 40% decrease in apoprotein ferroxidase activity and an 80% decrease in its iron uptake ability. The current findings of changes in ferritin and apoferritin may contribute to intracellular iron-induced oxidative stress during AA formation in ketosis and diabetes mellitus.