Oxidative Stress and Insulin Action: A Role for Antioxidants?

There is increasing evidence that alterations in the capacity to reduce oxidants, like superoxide anion radical (Oi), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), hydroxyl radical (OH-), nitric oxide (NO), and alkyl or peroxyl radicals, could play an important role in the pathogenesis of various diseases. The imbalance between oxidants and antioxidants in favor of the oxidants, so-called oxidative stress, results in a nonenzymatic free radical-mediated oxidation of biological molecules, membranes, and tissues associated with a variety of pathological events.