This book is based on the papers presented at the "Fourth International Congress on Oxygen Radicals (4-ICOR)," held June 27 - July 3, 1987, at the University of California, La Jolla. The chapters deal with the phenomena associated with highly reactive oxygen species (hydroxy, peroxy, alkoxy, aroxy, and superoxide radicals, as well as singlet oxygen) and their peroxidation products (hydrogen peroxide, hydroperoxides, peroxides, and epoxides) as they relate to the fields of chemistry, food technology, nutrition, biology, pharmacology, and medicine. The kinetics, energetics, and mechanistic aspects of the reactions of these species and the interrelationship of oxygen radicals (or any other free radicals) and peroxidized products have been emphasized. Special attention is focused on the mechanisms of the generation of free radicals and peroxy products in biosystems and on the adverse effects of these radicals and products in humans. The topics span the continuum from the simple chemistry of model systems to the complex considerations of clinical medicine. The book also explores the mechanisms of agents that protect against free radicals and peroxy products in vitro and in vivo. These agents include antioxidants used in materials, food antioxidants, physiological antioxidants, and antioxienzymes (SOD, glutathione peroxidase, and catalases). The use of these inhibitors to prevent damage to organs being prepared for transplantation, thereby maintaining the quality of transplanted organs and/or extending their "shelf-life," also is examined.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) which include free radicals, peroxides, singlet oxygen, ozone, and nitrogen monoxide and dioxide free radicals, is an area of intense research. This volume covers (1) the destruction of cellular function by ROS resulting in pathological states; (2) the protection by ROS of an organism against invading organisms that cause infections; and (3) the role of ROS in normal physiological processes. Designed for beginning graduate students, this book gives a concise overview of the field.

A NATO Advanced Study Institute on "Oxygen Radicals in Biological Systems: Recent Progress and New Methods of Study" was held in Braga, Portugal between Sep tember 1 and September 14, 1985, in order to consider the basic chemistry and biochem istry of activated oxygen (both radical and non-radical species) and their effect in biolog ical systems. This book summarizes the main lectures given at this meeting. While there is no attempt to cover all the major topics in the expanding subject of oxidative mechanisms in biology, an effort has been made to provide overviews on some key aspects of this field. The authors have attempted to convey a clear picture of both what is known and what remains unclear in their respective subjects. Not only are some of the techniques used for detecting activated oxygen species described, but also their strengths and limi tations. The chemistry of many of these species is discussed and the biological and/or pathological implications are carefully reviewed. The medical and therapeutic aspects of some of the well established pathways of damage and protection are analyzed. It is our hope that the material included in this book might be useful for both researchers and teachers at the graduate level. The success of this meeting was to a large extent due to the tireless committment of Professor Alberto Amaral and Dr. Concei~a:o Rangel; without their outstanding efforts in dealing with all the aspects of the organization, this summer school would not have been possible.

Oxygen represents only 20% of the Earth's atmosphere, yet it is vital for the survival of aerobic organisms. There is a dark part of the use of oxygen that consists in generating reactive species that are potentially harmful to living organisms. Moreover, reactive oxygen species can combine with nitrogen derivatives and generate many other reactive species. Thus, living organisms are continuously assaulted by reactive species from external or internal sources. However, the real danger comes in the case of high concentrations and prolonged exposure to these species. This book presents an image of the mechanisms of action of reactive species and emphasizes their involvement in diseases. Inflammation and cancer are examined to determine when and how reactive species turn the evolution of a benign process to a malignant one. Some answers may come from recent studies indicating that reactive species are responsible for epigenetic changes.

Free Radicals in Biology and Medicine has become a classic text in the field of free radical and antioxidant research. Now in its fifth edition, the book has been comprehensively rewritten and updated whilst maintaining the clarity of its predecessors. Two new chapters discuss 'in vivo' and 'dietary' antioxidants, the first emphasising the role of peroxiredoxins and integrated defence mechanisms which allow useful roles for ROS, and the second containing new information on the role of fruits, vegetables, and vitamins in health and disease. This new edition also contains expanded coverage of the mechanisms of oxidative damage to lipids, DNA, and proteins (and the repair of such damage), and the roles played by reactive species in signal transduction, cell survival, death, human reproduction, defence mechanisms of animals and plants against pathogens, and other important biological events. The methodologies available to measure reactive species and oxidative damage (and their potential pitfalls) have been fully updated, as have the topics of phagocyte ROS production, NADPH oxidase enzymes, and toxicology. There is a detailed and critical evaluation of the role of free radicals and other reactive species in human diseases, especially cancer, cardiovascular, chronic inflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases. New aspects of ageing are discussed in the context of the free radical theory of ageing. This book is recommended as a comprehensive introduction to the field for students, educators, clinicians, and researchers. It will also be an invaluable companion to all those interested in the role of free radicals in the life and biomedical sciences.

This book discusses organoselenium chemistry and biology in the context of its therapeutic potential, taking the reader through synthetic techniques, bioactivity and therapeutic applications

Antioxidants and their mechanisms of action; Food factors as antioxidants; Coronary heart disease; Malignant disease; Other diseases; Indicators of oxidative stress; Consumer issues.

Redox regulation, like phosphorylation, is a covalent regulatory system that controls many of the normal cellular functions of all living cells and organisms. In addition, it controls how cells respond to stress involving oxidants and free radicals, which underlie many degenerative diseases. This area is undergoing a transition from general knowledge to specific description of the components and mechanisms involved.This invaluable book provides a timely basic description of a field whose relevance to cell biology and degenerative diseases is of the utmost importance. It describes the state of the art, lays the foundations for understanding the reactions involved, and presents the prospects for future developments. It can serve as a basic text for any undergraduate or graduate course that deals with redox regulation, oxidative stress and free radicals under normal and pathological conditions in bacterial, plant and animal cells.

It is a natural phenomenon for all living organisms in the world to undergo different kinds of stress during their life span. Stress has become a common problem for human beings in this materialistic world. In this period, a publication of any material on stress will be helpful for the human society. The book Basic Principles and Clinical Significance of Oxidative Stress targets all aspects of oxidative stress, including principles, mechanisms, and clinical significance. This book covers four sections: Free Radicals and Oxidative Stress, Natural Compounds as Antioxidants, Antioxidants - Health and Disease, and Oxidative Stress and Therapy. Each of these sections is interwoven with the theoretical aspects and experimental techniques of basic and clinical sciences. This book will be a significant source to scientists, physicians, healthcare professionals, and students who are interested in exploring the effect of stress on human life.

This comprehensive encyclopedic reference provides rapid access to focused information on topics of cancer research for clinicians, research scientists and advanced students. Given the overwhelming success of the first edition, which appeared in 2001, and fast development in the different fields of cancer research, it has been decided to publish a second fully revised and expanded edition. With an A-Z format of over 7,000 entries, more than 1,000 contributing authors provide a complete reference to cancer. The merging of different basic and clinical scientific disciplines towards the common goal of fighting cancer makes such a comprehensive reference source all the more timely.