ABSTRACT
I. INTRODUCTION The liver, the bodies’ largest solid internal organ, performs a substantial number of vital metabolic functions and is the main organ for drug and xenobiotic metabolism. These functions require an extensive aerobic metabolism to generate sufficient quantities of ATP in mitochondria. However, this metabolic activity causes a continuous formation of reactive oxygen species. In addition, drug metabolism and potential cell injury can dramatically increase the oxidant stress burden for each individual cell and the organ. This review will focus on the general discussion of reactive oxygen and nitrogen formation, description of antioxidant systems in different cellular and vascular compartments, and analysis of potential adverse consequences of excessive oxidant stress in the liver.
