Endothelial H2O2 A Bad Guy Turning Good?

摘要

About a decade ago everyone who read, at least occasionally, the science part of the local newspapers or followed popular science broadcasts “knew” that reactive oxygen species (ROS) are dangerous. They were thought to be bad, really bad, and many looking for a healthier lifestyle took action against these nasty small molecules accused of harming lipids and proteins by taking antioxidants like vitamin E. Food industry teamed up with pharmaceutical companies and brought up functional food enriched or supplemented with trustful antioxidants in the fight against ROS, which seemed to be produced under pathological conditions with just one mission: to damage the body. Things have changed during recent years, and there is emerging evidence that ROS are not only continuously produced even in healthy individuals but also exert important physiological functions. While we are still in-between a period that provides exciting new findings on the physiology of ROS, one can already summarize our present knowledge rather accurately by citing Paracelsus’ adage of “Dosis (sola) facit venenum” (tertio defensio, 1538).