Lipid Peroxidation: A Signaling Mechanism in Diagnosis of Diseases

Abstract

Quantification of reactive oxygen species, is perplexing either in vivo or in vitro due to their short half-lives. Consequently, to define the magnitude of oxidative stress, the more stable oxidation products can be measured in biological samples. The oxidative stress leads to the lipid peroxidation that involves the initiation, termination and propagation of lipid radicals, wherein, the process involves the oxygen uptake, rearrangement of the double bonds in unsaturated lipids, that leads to polyunsaturated fatty acid deterioration. Subsequently, the toxic signaling end products are considered as biomarkers of free radicals that act both as signaling molecules and as cytotoxic products cause covalent alteration of lipid peroxidation products. The use of validated signaling mechanism (s) of Lipid peroxidation and products derived thereof exhibits its use clinical practice and basic clinical research as well as in clinical practice has become common place, and their presence as endpoints in clinical trials is now broadly accepted. This knowledge can be used to diagnose disease earlier, or to prevent it before it starts. The signaling markers can be used to excel the effectiveness of the prevailing medicines and to improve the new medicines.