Lipid peroxidation and the role of oxygen radicals in CNS injury.

Lipid peroxidation is a radical induced chain reaction which is fundamentally linked to cellular destruction in the secondary injury process which is initiated by head and spinal injury and stroke. Injuries such as these begin a series of molecular events which lead to gradual vascular and neuronal degeneration. This process ultimately precludes neurological recovery. The secondary damage process is a combination of lipid peroxidation, calcium influx, arachidonic acid release and metabolism, transition metal redox reactions and tissue pH. Although CNS cells are particularly susceptible to lipid peroxidation, the process is common to many biological processes (e.g. inflammation, carcinogenesis, aging, radiation damage, transplant rejection, etc.).