Surgery – Diagnostic testing – Measuring or detecting nonradioactive constituent of body...
Patent
1997-06-23
2000-08-22
O'Connor, Cary
Surgery
Diagnostic testing
Measuring or detecting nonradioactive constituent of body...
600354, A61B 505
Patent
active
061085707
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a non-invasive device and method for the quantitative determination of the level of oxidants and/or antioxidants in the skin.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In the last decade many details have been clarified which contribute to understanding the role of oxygen free radicals and other oxygen metabolites in biology and medicine. Reactive oxygen species have been incriminated as deleterious species which are responsible for the biological damage induced by oxidative stress in many clinical cases, and today these metabolites are considered to be responsible for the oxygen toxicity in mammals, bacteria and plants. Humans are exposed to many types of oxygen metabolites from both endogenous and exogenous sources. During the reduction in stages of the oxygen molecule in the mitochondria for energy generation, active oxygen species are produced. These metabolites, which include the superoxide radical (O.sub.2.sup.-.cndot.), hydrogen peroxide (H.sub.2 O.sub.2) and the hydroxyl radical (OH.sup..cndot.), can leak to the immediate surroundings and may cause biological damage. Other internal sources for reactive oxygen species are enzymes which produce these metabolites as a result of their catalytic activity. The production of oxygen reactive metabolites can also occur in many other systems. Phagocytes, for example, are known for their ability to produce the superoxide radical and other reactive species. Other species also participate in the defense mechanism against invaders. This process, although necessary, can lead to biological damage in the surrounding area.
Exposure of humans to free radicals is not limited to the endogenous oxygen free radicals, but also includes exogenous sources. Various chemicals in agricultural use can serve as free radical generation systems, as in the case of the herbicide Paraquat. Other chemicals (aloxan, isouramil, cigarette smoke, air pollutants, carcinogenic and mutagenic compounds and many drugs) can generate oxygen free metabolites and cause biological damage. Free radicals have been shown to play an important role in the initiation and pathogenesis of, inter alia, inflammations, autoimmune diseases, brain degenerative diseases (Parkinson, Wilson, epilepsy), and eye diseases (cataract and retinopathy). These reactive species have also been demonstrated to be involved in ischemic and post-ischemic damage to the heart, brain and gastrointestinal tract. Recently it has been suggested that oxygen free radicals take part in cancer, aging and aging-related diseases.
Exposure of the cells to continuous efflux of oxygen free radicals and reactive species led to the adaptation of the cells to live in an aerobic atmosphere. This adaptation process included the development of several lines of defense (antioxidants) against the damage induced by these metabolites. The broad definition of an antioxidant includes compounds which can cope with oxidative stress in various mechanisms. These mechanisms include: compounds which donate hydrogen to the damaged target, compounds which can scavenge free radicals, compounds which can bind the oxidants and remove them from the target, compounds which can convert reactive species to nonreactive metabolites, and reducing compounds which can react with oxidants. The various antioxidants may be classified into two main groups: the enzymatic group of antioxidants and the low molecular weight antioxidants (LMWA). The antioxidant enzymes include the enzymes superoxide dismutase, catalase and peroxidase. The LMWA include compounds which are not synthesized by humans but are present in the diet, such as ascorbic acid (vitamin C), tocopherol (vitamin E) and compounds which can be synthesized by humans such as glutathione (GSH), carnosine (an antioxidant present in the brain and muscle), uric acid and others. Most of the compounds in this group are reducing agents which can react with the oxidants.
Among the various mechanisms that explain the oxidative damage of various biological systems, the lipid peroxidation proc
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Fanberstein David
Kohen Ron
Tirosh Oren
Carter Ryan
O'Connor Cary
Yissum Research Development Company of the Hebrew University of
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