Reactive oxygen and nitrogen species and lipid peroxidation chain reactions (RONS/LPO)

Reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) are highly reactive molecules, including free radicals like superoxide and non-radicals like hydrogen peroxide, that are produced during normal cellular metabolism (PMID: 28110904). While they function as critical signaling molecules at low concentrations, their overproduction leads to oxidative and nitrosative stress, causing irreversible damage to cellular macromolecules. Lipid peroxidation is a specific oxidative degradation of lipids where RONS attack polyunsaturated fatty acids in cell membranes, initiating a self-propagating chain reaction that results in membrane rupture and the generation of reactive aldehydes like malondialdehyde (PMID: 24926875). This process is a key driver of ferroptosis and is implicated in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular disorders, and cancer (PMID: 30306242). Therapeutic interventions often utilize radical scavengers and chain-breaking antioxidants, such as edaravone or vitamin E, to neutralize RONS and terminate lipid peroxidation, although achieving clinical efficacy remains a significant challenge due to the complexity of redox homeostasis (PMID: 31535454).

Other names

Oxidative stressNitrosative stressLipid peroxidationFree radicalsReactive oxygen species (ROS)Reactive nitrogen species (RNS)

Radical scavenging and termination of lipid peroxidation chain reactions