[Mechanism of the therapeutic effect of exogenous superoxide dismutase: findings and prospects].

The hazards arising from oxygen radicals and the enzymatic function of superoxide dismutase (SOD) is discussed with regard to established and potential therapeutic effects of the injected enzyme. A monistic interpretation of the therapeutic effect of SOD in inflammatory diseases considers .02- production as a pathogenetic principle and the enzymatic elimination of the harmful radical by exogenous SOD as the counterbalancing mechanism. This hypothesis is elaborated upon taking into account the sites of endogenous .02- production, established .02-dependent types of tissue damage and availability of injected SOD. It is concluded that clinical conditions associated with .02- release from inflammatory cells will benefit from SOD injections, if relevant tissue levels are provided.