Oxidative Stress in Toxicology: Established Mammalian and Emerging Piscine Model Systems Sue A. Kelly,1,2 Christine M. Havrilla,2,3 Todd C. Brady,2,4 Kimberly Harris Abramo,2,3 and Edward D. Levin2 1Nicholas School of the Environment, 2Integrated Toxicology Program, 3Department of Chemistry, and 4Department of Pathology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708 USA Abstract Interest in the toxicological aspects of oxidative stress has grown in recent years, and research has become increasingly focused on the mechanistic aspects of oxidative damage and cellular responses in biological systems. Toxic consequences of oxidative stress at the subcellular level include lipid peroxidation and oxidative damage to DNA and proteins. These effects are often used as end points in the study of oxidative stress. Typically, mammalian species have been used as models to study oxidative stress and to elucidate the mechanisms underlying cellular damage and response, largely because of the interest in human health issues surrounding oxidative stress. However, it is becoming apparent that oxidative stress also affects aquatic organisms exposed to environmental pollutants. Research in fish has demonstrated that mammalian and piscine systems exhibit similar toxicological and adaptive responses to oxidative stress. This suggests that piscine models, in addition to traditional mammalian models, may be useful for further understanding the mechanisms underlying the oxidative stress response. Key words: antioxidants, fish, lipid peroxidation, mammals, oxidative DNA damage, oxidative stress, reactive oxygen species. Environ Health Perspect 106:375-384 (1998) . [Online 9 June 1998] http://ehpnet1.niehs.nih.gov/docs/1998/106p375-384kelly/ abstract.html Address correspondence to S.A. Kelly, Nicholas School of the Environment - LSRC Rm A141, Research Drive, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708 USA. The authors wish to thank Irwin Fridovich and Richard Di Giulio for technical review of the manuscript. Received 12 November 1997 ; accepted 16 March 1998. The full version of this article is available for free in HTML format. |