Chapter 14

Detection of Damage of Biomolecules by Free Radicals and Related Reactive Species

Y. Robert Li

Abstract

Lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids are major cellular targets of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS/RNS). Oxidative damage to these cellular constituents has been increasingly recognized as a significant pathophysiological event leading to many disease processes. Thus, determination of ROS/RNSelicited damage to lipids, proteins, and nuclear acids is crucial for investigating the oxidative mechanisms of human diseases and assessing the efficacy of antioxidant-based therapies. This chapter first introduces the general experimental approaches to assessing the effects of ROS/RNS on cellular biomolecules and then describes the commonly used methods to determine ROS/RNS-mediated biological damage, with an emphasis on the assays that detect lipid peroxidation, protein oxidation, and oxidative DNA base modifications. The chapter ends with a discussion of biomarkers of oxidative stress and their value in assessing disease pathophysiology as well as the efficacy of antioxidant intervention.

Total Pages: 295-306 (12)

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