ABSTRACT
The importance of oxidative stress (oxidant stress) has been increasingly recognized as a pivotal mechanism contributing to the toxicity of many xenobiotics. Oxidative stress has also been implicated in the pathogenesis of many common diseases. One of the most widely used definitions of oxidative stress is an imbalance between the production of oxidizing molecular species (prooxidants) and the presence of cellular antioxidants, in favor of the prooxidants and leading to potential damage. Oxidative stress can be more correctly termed ‘oxidoreductive stress’ because some of the compounds involved can be both reductants and oxidants, depending on the molecular partner. Because thermodynamics requires that when something is oxidized, something else is reduced, reductive stress may also play a role.
