Kalous M, Drahota Z
Physiol Res. 1996;45(5):351-9.
Aging is a process drawing attention of many researchers, and at present many theories exists, which try to explain this chain of inevitable events leading to death of organism. In this article we focused our attention on a theory explaining the degenerative changes occurring during aging by the effect of oxygen free radicals. These highly reactive radicals are produced during oxidative phosphorylation in mitochondria. All cellular components appear to be sensitive to oxygen-radical damage. Lipids, proteins and nucleic acids are probably the most susceptible to this injury. Lipoperoxidation of lipids together with cross-linking of proteins with phospholipids and nucleic acids caused changes in membrane fluidity. Mitochondrial DNA coding several subunits of respiratory chain enzymes can be also damaged by these radicals. All these changes together have negative impact on mitochondrial metabolism resulting progressive decrease of the efficiency of oxidative phosphorylation and thus of the whole organism.
衰老过程引起了众多研究人员的关注，目前存在许多理论试图解释这一系列导致生物体死亡的必然事件。在本文中，我们重点关注一种通过氧自由基的作用来解释衰老过程中发生的退行性变化的理论。这些高活性自由基在线粒体的氧化磷酸化过程中产生。所有细胞成分似乎都对氧自由基损伤敏感。脂质、蛋白质和核酸可能是最易受这种损伤的。脂质的过氧化作用以及蛋白质与磷脂和核酸的交联导致膜流动性发生变化。编码呼吸链酶几个亚基的线粒体DNA也会受到这些自由基的损伤。所有这些变化共同对线粒体代谢产生负面影响，导致氧化磷酸化效率逐渐降低，进而影响整个生物体。
