title: [Resistance of nerve cells to oxidative injury].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Reactive oxygen species are particularly active in the brain and neuronal tissue, and they are involved in numerous cellular functions, including cell death and survival.
  A high metabolic rate and an abundant supply of the transition metals make the brain an ideal target for a free radical attack. In addition, the brain has a high susceptibility to oxidative stress due to the high lipid content and relatively lower regenerative capacity in comparison with other tissues.
  The neurons are more vulnerable to oxidative stress than other brain cell types. In addition to the two conventional enzymes, catalase and glutathione peroxidase, peroxiredoxins remove intracellular hydrogen peroxide by reducing it to water. The recent work increasingly supports the hypothesis that peroxiredoxins are not only antioxidant proteins, but they also play a role in cell signaling by controlling hydrogen peroxide and alkyl hydroperoxide levels. The accumulating evidence demonstrates that microglia can become deleterious and damage neurons. The overactivated microglia release reactive oxygen species that cause neuronal damage in neurodegenerative diseases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The defense of nerve cells against reactive oxygen species--mediated oxidative damage is essential for maintaining the functionality of nerve cells. The ongoing studies show that neuron-glial compartmentalization of antioxidants is critical for the neuronal signaling by hydrogen peroxide as well as the neuronal protection.
authors.affiliation: Katedra za patolosku fiziologiju, Medicinski fakultet, Kragujevac. zoricajovanovic@ymail.com
authors.forename: Zorica
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Jovanović
authors.forename: Svetlana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jovanović
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D005609:Free Radicals / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D054464:Peroxiredoxins / Q000378:metabolism; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D005609:Free Radicals; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D054464:Peroxiredoxins