ABSTRACT
I. INTRODUCTION There is increasing and compelling evidence that reactive oxygen species (ROS), produced as by-products of mitochondrial respiration and by reaction with metal ions, are a significant contributor to aging and to pathological conditions associated with aging. Various therapeutic strategies have been proposed to lower the deleterious consequences that age-related oxidative damage has on cell and organ function. These strategies include dietary supplementation of antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E, or chelation therapies to remove redox-active metal ions that would convert rather innocuous ROS (superoxide or hydrogen peroxide) to more reactive and deleterious free radicals (hydroxyl radicals).
