Oxygen toxicity
L Frank, D Massaro - The American journal of medicine, 1980 - Elsevier
The “free radical theory of oxygen toxicity” attributes the damaging effects of hyperoxia to
highly-reactive metabolic products of oxygen (O 2) that can inactivate enzymes in the cell,
damage DNA and destroy lipid membranes. To protect the organism from these cytotoxic O
2 metabolites, an array of cooperative antioxidant defense systems have evolved. These
include the enzyme superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase and glutathione peroxidase, plus
other endogenous antioxidants such as ascorbate and vitamin E. The increased levels of O …
highly-reactive metabolic products of oxygen (O 2) that can inactivate enzymes in the cell,
damage DNA and destroy lipid membranes. To protect the organism from these cytotoxic O
2 metabolites, an array of cooperative antioxidant defense systems have evolved. These
include the enzyme superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase and glutathione peroxidase, plus
other endogenous antioxidants such as ascorbate and vitamin E. The increased levels of O …