Histopathology Review of Free Radicals

Ekundina O. Victor1

, Omon A. Emmanuel1

, Ayomide Unuigbohai, Ejelue C. Chiamaka

Department of Medical Laboratory Science,
College of Health and Medical Sciences,
Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria.

Email: omonea@pg.abuad.edu.ng

ABSTRACT

Histopathology is a branch of medicine that deals with the study of
disease tissues. These diseases have an underlying cause which is the reaction of free radicals and other reactive species. Free radicals are highly reactive and unstable chemical molecules that are produced from normal metabolic and biochemical reactions in the body. Free radicals cause oxidative stress when their reactions overwhelm the counteraction of antioxidants in the body. Examples of free radicals are superoxideanion (O2

), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), hydroxyl radical (OH-), nitric oxide
(NO), peroxyl (ROO) and lipid peroxyl (LOO). Oxidative stress then leads to disease by provoking pathologic reactions in specific tissues of the organ based on the exposure of the tissues to free radicals. Oxidative stress is implicated in the pathogenesis of many diseases like diabetes mellitus, atherosclerosis, liver cancer etc. Antioxidants are molecules that can stabilize or deactivate free radical before they cause tissue damage. This review is focused on establishing the effects free radicals have in the pathogenesis of histopathology, in addition, the roles of antioxidant in deactivating these free radicals reaction. Free radicals cause disease when oxidation exceeds antioxidation or even when the generation of free radicals exceeds its removal. Keywords: Histopathology, Free radicals, Oxidative Stress, ROS, Antioxidants, Tissue