title: [Physico-chemical aspects of reactive oxygen species].
abstract: Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), namely hydroxyl (*OH) and superoxide (O2*-) free radicals and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), are involved in all oxidative stress phenomena. These latter occur in numerous pathological disorders such as, for example, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes or neurodegenerative diseases. Knowledge of thermodynamic (reduction potentials) and kinetic (rate constants) properties of ROS allows to draw up a rigorous overview of the chemical reactivity of these species. Hydroxyl free radicals (*OH) are powerful oxidants (very toxic species) which attack all the biomolecular targets (DNA, proteins, lipids...), giving other free radicals localized on the targets. Superoxide free radicals (O2*-) have a more graduated reactivity, since they don't directly react with biological molecules. However, some toxicity would be attributed to them via secondary radicular reactions. Other free radicals (of peroxyl RO2* and alkoxyl RO* types), belonging also to the ROS family, contribute by enhancement to oxidative stress.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Chimie-Physique, UMR 8601 Cnrs-Université Paris 5, UFR Biomédicale des Saint-Pères, 45, rue des Saint-Pères, F 75270 Paris Cedex 06, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gardès-Albert
mesh_terms: D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D002627:Chemistry, Physical; D005609:Free Radicals / Q000737:chemistry; D007700:Kinetics; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000737:chemistry*; D013816:Thermodynamics
chemical_list: D005609:Free Radicals; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species