Inflammatory lung diseases are characterized by chronic inflammation and oxidant/antioxidant imbalance, a major cause of cell damage. The development of an oxidant/antioxidant imbalance in lung inflammation may activate redox-sensitive transcription factors such as nuclear factor-KB, and activator protein-1 (AP-1), which regulate the genes for pro-inflammatory mediators and protective antioxida...

Trace levels of transition metals can participate in the metal-catalyzed Haber-Weiss reaction (superoxide-driven Fenton reaction) as well as catalyze the oxidation of ascorbate. Generally ascorbate is thought of as an excellent reducing agent; it is able to serve as a donor antioxidant in free radical-mediated oxidation processes. However, as a reducing agent it is also able to reduce redox-act...

Leprosy is caused by invasion of Mycobacterium leprae bacilli occurring intracellularly. The innate methods by which the human body meets the challenge of invading live microbes is to destroy the microbes through an activation system leading to biochemical production of oxygen and other free radicals by the phagocytic cells[1] . Reactive Oxygen species (ROS) released during bacterial phagocytos...

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are generated as a result of normal cellular metabolism, mainly through the mitochondria and peroxisomes, but their release is enhanced by the activation of oxidant enzymes such as NADPH oxidases or downregulation of endogenous antioxidant enzymes such as manganese-superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) and catalase. Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), found to be overexpr...

Markedly decreased plasma cystine and cysteine concentrations have been found in HIV-infected patients at all stages of the disease and in SIV-infected rhesus macaques. The elevated glutamate levels found in the same patients aggravate the cysteine deficiency by inhibiting the membrane transport activity for cystine. The intact immune system appears to require a delicate balance between pro-oxi...

The correlation of coronary artery disease (CAD) with pro-oxidant/antioxidant balance and oxidative DNA damage was investigated. Seventy-seven patients with CAD and 44 healthy individuals as control were included in this study. The comparative ratios of ubiquinol-10/ubiquinone-10, 8-hydroxy-2(')-deoxyguanosine/deoxyguanosine and the level of MDA measured by HPLC and the activities of GPX and SO...