Subczynski Witold Karol, Pasenkiewicz-Gierula Marta, Widomska Justyna
Department of Biophysics, Medical College on Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA.
Department of Computational Biophysics and Bioinformatics, Jagiellonian University, 30-387 Krakow, Poland.
Antioxidants (Basel). 2023 Sep 20;12(9):1783. doi: 10.3390/antiox12091783.
Molecular oxygen is a primary oxidant that is involved in the formation of active oxygen species and in the oxidation of lipids and proteins. Thus, controlling oxygen partial pressure (concentration) in the human organism, tissues, and organs can be the first step in protecting them against oxidative stress. However, it is not an easy task because oxygen is necessary for ATP synthesis by mitochondria and in many biochemical reactions taking place in all cells in the human body. Moreover, the blood circulatory system delivers oxygen to all parts of the body. The eye lens seems to be the only organ that is protected from the oxidative stress through the regulation of oxygen partial pressure. The basic mechanism that developed during evolution to protect the eye lens against oxidative damage is based on the maintenance of a very low concentration of oxygen within the lens. This antioxidant mechanism is supported by the resistance of both the lipid components of the lens membrane and cytosolic proteins to oxidation. Any disturbance, continuous or acute, in the working of this mechanism increases the oxygen concentration, in effect causing cataract development. Here, we describe the biophysical basis of the mechanism and its correlation with lens transparency.
分子氧是一种主要的氧化剂，参与活性氧的形成以及脂质和蛋白质的氧化过程。因此，控制人体机体、组织和器官中的氧分压（浓度）可能是保护它们免受氧化应激的第一步。然而，这并非易事，因为氧气对于线粒体合成ATP以及人体所有细胞中发生的许多生化反应都是必需的。此外，血液循环系统将氧气输送到身体的各个部位。晶状体似乎是唯一通过调节氧分压来免受氧化应激影响的器官。在进化过程中形成的保护晶状体免受氧化损伤的基本机制是基于维持晶状体内部极低的氧气浓度。这种抗氧化机制得到晶状体膜脂质成分和胞质蛋白抗氧化性的支持。该机制工作过程中的任何持续性或急性干扰都会增加氧气浓度，实际上会导致白内障的形成。在此，我们描述该机制的生物物理基础及其与晶状体透明度的相关性。
