Biochemistry of free radicals: from electrons to tissues

Free radicals are chemical species with an unpaired electron in the outer valence orbitals. The unpaired electron makes them paramagnetic (physics) and relatively reactive (chemistry). The free radicals that are normal metabolites in aerobic biological systems have varied reactivities, ranging from the high reactivity of hydroxyl radical (t1/2 = 10(-9) s) to the low reactivity of melanins (t1/2 = days). The univalent reduction of oxygen that takes place in mammalian organs produces superoxide radicals at a rate of about 2% of the total oxygen uptake. The primary production of superoxide radicals sustains a free radical chain reaction involving a series of reactive oxygen species (hydrogen peroxide, hydroxyl and peroxyl radical and singlet oxygen). Nitric oxide is almost unreactive as free radical except for its termination reaction with superoxide radical to yield the strong oxidant peroxynitrite. Nitric oxide also reacts with ubiquinol in a redox reaction, with cytochrome oxidase competitively with oxygen, and oxymyoglobin and oxyhemoglobin displacing oxygen. Septic shock and endotoxemia produce muscle dysfunction and oxidative stress due to increased steady state concentrations of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species.