ABSTRACT
This chapter considers the cell types able to produce oxygen radicals. It also considers the pathways of superoxide production by neutrophils activated by various stimuli. The production of oxygen radicals by neutrophils was first studied during the phagocytosis of bacteria, viruses, and various aggregate materials. Very important methods of the detection of oxygen radical production by leukocytes are based on the chemiluminescence (CL) technique and spin trapping. It was proposed that the calcium-dependent component of CL is generated by lipoxygenase. The chapter discusses the production of oxygen radicals by animal and plant cells. Many plant cells are also able to produce oxygen radicals, but the mechanisms of oxygen radical production in plants differ considerably from those in animal tissues. It was also shown that the production of oxygen radicals by human neutrophils as well as by monocytes and alveolar macrophages may be stimulated by unopsonized surface-adherent bacteria.
