Commentary: mannitol: molecule magnifique or a case of radical misinterpretation?

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Metabolic Glycoengineering of Sialic Acid Using N-acyl-modified Mannosamines
12:06

Metabolic Glycoengineering of Sialic Acid Using N-acyl-modified Mannosamines

Published on: November 25, 2017

C E Gillbe1, F J Sage, J M Gutteridge

  • 1Department of Anaesthesia & Adult Intensive Care, Royal Brompton Hospital, London, UK.

Free Radical Research
|January 1, 1996
PubMed

Insights

Oxidative stress occurs when reactive oxygen species (ROS) overwhelm the body's defenses, causing molecular damage. Current therapeutic strategies, like using mannitol, show limited success in preventing this cellular damage from highly reactive ROS.

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Cell Biology
  • Toxicology

Background:

  • Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are natural byproducts of biological processes.
  • An imbalance between ROS production and antioxidant capacity leads to oxidative stress.
  • Oxidative stress can cause significant damage to vital cellular molecules.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of hydroxyl radicals in cellular damage.
  • To evaluate the potential of mannitol as a therapeutic agent against ROS-induced damage.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of ROS formation in biological systems.
  • Assessment of molecular damage under oxidative stress conditions.
  • Evaluation of mannitol's efficacy in mitigating ROS effects.

Main Results:

  • Hydroxyl radicals identified as the most potent ROS, causing rapid molecular damage.
  • Mannitol demonstrated limited effectiveness in preventing ROS-mediated cellular damage at therapeutic doses.

Conclusions:

  • The high reactivity of hydroxyl radicals poses a significant challenge for therapeutic intervention.
  • Current therapeutic approaches using mannitol are unlikely to prevent ROS-induced cellular damage effectively.

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