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Xanthine Oxido-Reductase, Free Radicals and Cardiovascular Disease. A Critical Review

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Pathology & Oncology Research

Abstract

Free radical mediated pathologies occupy a special place in medical semiology and in mechanistic interpretation of diseases. Free radicals, or better reactive oxygen species (ROS) or reactive nitrogen species (RNS) play also an important role in cell signaling. This is the basis of the ambivalent (Jekyll – Hyde) situation of ROS in biology and pathology. Aging itself is attributed by a popular theory to free radicals. A number of ROS – scavenging substances and procedures were described without however reaching credibility for their therapeutic value. An interesting exception is the xanthine oxido - reductase produced ROS and their role in cardiovascular disease. Allopurinol inhibition of xanthine oxido – reductase was shown to be efficient in some cases of cardiovascular diseases. Another important aspect of xanthine oxido – reductase produced ROS is their antibacterial capacity considered to be of importance with newborns fed on milk rich in this enzyme as well as at the gastrointestinal barrier. This ambivalent role of xanthine oxido – reductase justifies this review on the basic enzymatic mechanisms involved, derived ROS production, their role in the above mentioned biological processes and especially the interest of the inhibition of this enzyme as a preventive or curative measure in some cardiovascular pathologies.

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Abbreviations

ROS:

Reactive oxygen species

RNS:

Reactive nitrogen species

XOR:

Xanthine oxido reductase

XO:

Xanthine oxidase

XD:

Xanthine dehydrogenase

AO:

Aldehyde oxidase

MFE:

Molybdo flavo enzymes

UA:

Uric acid

NOS:

Nitric oxide synthetase

CVD:

Cardio vascular disease

IR:

Ischemia reperfusion

MI:

Myocardial infarct

HF:

Heart failure

BP:

Blood pressure

EPR:

Electron paramagnetic resonance

NAD:

Nicotine adenine dinucleotide

Kb:

1000 base-unit in DNA

SOD:

Superoxide dismutase

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Acknowledgments

The project of this review was suggested by our colleague Dr Annick Alperovitch, Emeritus Research Director at INSERM, eminent specialist of cardiovascular epidemiology. She also helped us with the content of section VII on the epidemiology of CVD as related to XO-

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  1. Laboratoire de Recherche Ophtalmologique, Hôpital Hôtel Dieu, Paris, Paris, France

    A. M. Robert & L. Robert

  2. 7 rue Jean-Baptiste Lully, 94440, Santeny, Paris, France

    L. Robert

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Robert, A.M., Robert, L. Xanthine Oxido-Reductase, Free Radicals and Cardiovascular Disease. A Critical Review. Pathol. Oncol. Res. 20, 1–10 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12253-013-9698-x

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