title: Role of reactive oxygen species in biological processes.
abstract: The steady-state formation of prooxidants in cells and organs is balanced by a similar rate of their consumption by antioxidants that are enzymatic and/or nonenzymatic. "Oxidative stress" results from imbalance in this prooxidant-antioxidant equilibrium in favor of the prooxidants. A number of diseases are associated with oxidative stress, being the basis of a potential antioxidant therapy. However, current evidence in clinical research does not show unequivocal distinction between causal or associative relationships of proxidants to the disease process.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Physiologische Chemie I, Universität Düsseldorf.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sies
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology; D005609:Free Radicals; D006801:Humans; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010100:Oxygen / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D005609:Free Radicals; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D010100:Oxygen