Metabolic Reactions: Role of Cytochrome P-450 in the Formation of Reactive Oxygen Species

Abstract

The term ``reactive oxygen'' in reference to biological systems is not clearly defined. In this chapter it will be used in the sense of chemically activated oxygen, representing oxygen metabolites, mainly reduction products of oxygen, released from the cytochrome P-450 enzyme system. Reactive oxygen formed during the metabolic reaction of the cytochrome P-450 enzyme at the active site of the heme moiety will not be discussed here; the reader is referred to other chapters in this book.