Interactions of Superoxide Dismutases with Nitric Oxide

Abstract

The superoxide radical (0₂−) is produced as a consequence of both spontaneous and enzymatic oxidations that occurs both within cells and on their outer surfaces. 0₂− is chemically reactive and it may contribute to the production of even more reactive entities, such as the hydroxyl radical (HO·). Indeed, were it not controlled, 0₂−, and its progeny, would rend the macromolecular fabric of cells and would make aerobic life all but impossible. There is evidence showing that 0₂− is a key player in a variety of vascular inflammatory diseases, in reperfusion injuries, in hemorrhagic shock, in oxygen toxicities, in infections, in neoplasia, and in apoptosis.