Ceruloplasmin contains about 95% of the copper found

in serum. Copper can catalyze ROS formation via Fenton and Haber–Weiss chemistry and therefore under physiological conditions, free copper very rarely exists inside cells. In the process of the investigation of copper chaperone for SOD, Rae et al. (1999) explored that Y-27632 research buy the upper limit of so-called “free pools of copper” was far less than a single atom per cell. This finding is of great importance, especially when considering other physiologically important trace metal ions. Copper can induce oxidative stress by two mechanisms. First, it can directly catalyze the formation of ROS via a Fenton-like reaction (Prousek, 2007 and Liochev and Fridovich, 2002). Second, exposure to elevated levels of copper significantly decreases glutathione levels (Speisky et al., 2009). Cupric and

cuprous ions can act in oxidation and reduction reactions. The cupric ion (Cu(II)), in the presence of superoxide anion radical or biological reductants such as ascorbic acid or GSH, can be reduced to cuprous ion (Cu(I)) which is capable of catalyzing the formation of reactive hydroxyl radicals through the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide via the INK 128 purchase Fenton reaction (Aruoma et al., 1991, Prousek, 1995 and Barbusinski, 2009): equation(7) Cu(II) + O2−  → Cu(I) + O2 equation(8) Cu(I) + H2O2 → Cu(II) +  OH + OH−  (Fenton reaction) The hydroxyl radical is extremely reactive and can further react with practically any biological molecules in the near vicinity, Astemizole for example via

hydrogen abstraction leaving behind a carbon-centered radical, e.g. form a lipid radical from unsaturated fatty acids. Copper is also capable of causing DNA strand breaks and oxidation of bases via ROS. Copper in both oxidation states (cupric or cuprous) was more active that iron in enhancing DNA breakage induced by the genotoxic benzene metabolite 1,2,4-benzenetriol. DNA damage occurred mainly by a site-specific Fenton reaction (Moriwaki et al., 2008). Glutathione is a substrate for several enzymes that removes ROS and is also a powerful cellular antioxidant present in the cells in millimolar concentration. It has multiple functions in intracellular copper metabolism and detoxification. Glutathione can suppress copper toxicity by directly chelating the metal (Mattie and Freedman, 2004) and maintaining it in a reduced state making it unavailable for redox cycling. Disruption of copper homeostasis resulting in elevated pools of copper may contribute to a shift in redox balance towards more oxidizing environment by depleting glutathione levels (Linder, 1991).