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hydrogen peroxide
Sunday 6 January 2008
The reactive oxygen species (ROSs) that are generated by mitochondrial respiration, including hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), are potent inducers of oxidative damage and mediators of ageing.
It is not clear, however, whether oxidative stress is the result of a genetic programme or the by-product of physiological processes.
A fraction of mitochondrial H2O2, produced by a specialized enzyme as a signalling molecule in the pathway of apoptosis, induces intracellular oxidative stress and accelerates ageing.
H2O2 production could be a determinant of lifespan.
References
Giorgio M, Trinei M, Migliaccio E, Pelicci PG. Hydrogen peroxide: a metabolic by-product or a common mediator of ageing signals? Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol. 2007 Sep;8(9):722-8. PMID: 17700625