Membrane damage due to lipid oxidation.
The influence of free radical-mediated oxidations is amplified because it proceeds by a chain mechanism, ie, only one radical can initiate chain reaction which may propagate over and over again. It was found that the in vitro oxidations of erythrocyte membranes proceed by a chain mechanism with a long kinetic chain length. Thus, the role of chain-breaking antioxidants is quite important, since they scavenge chain-carrying radicals to break a chain reaction. In fact, it has been found experimentally that vitamin E, a lipophilic chain-breaking antioxidant present within the membranes, suppresses the oxidative damage of the membranes more efficiently than water-soluble chain-breaking antioxidants such as vitamin C, which scavenges aqueous radicals but can not scavenge chain-carrying radicals within the membranes.
Niki
E
E
Department of Reaction Chemistry, Faculty of Engineering, University of Tokyo, Japan.
Yamamoto
Y
Y
Komuro
E
E
Sato
K
K
D000578:Amidines / Q000378:metabolism; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism*; D001391:Azo Compounds / Q000378:metabolism; D004910:Erythrocyte Membrane / Q000378:metabolism*; D005609:Free Radicals; D006801:Humans; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL / Q000378:metabolism*; D008081:Liposomes / Q000378:metabolism*; D008563:Membrane Lipids / Q000378:metabolism*; D009570:Nitriles / Q000378:metabolism; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000378:metabolism
D000578:Amidines; D000975:Antioxidants; D001391:Azo Compounds; D005609:Free Radicals; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL; D008081:Liposomes; D008563:Membrane Lipids; D009570:Nitriles; C055792:2,2'-azobis(2,4-dimethylvaleronitrile); D014810:Vitamin E; C046728:2,2'-azobis(2-amidinopropane)