Accomplices of radicals
A new target for anti-aging has been discovered
Sergey Kolenov, Hi-tech+
After investigating the process of oxidative stress, American scientists have identified a particle that is involved in the destruction of lipids – important biological molecules. Perhaps the discovery will create new tools to slow down age-related changes.
According to one theory, the main factor of aging should be considered oxidative stress, which leads to cell damage. In particular, it destroys unsaturated lipids, which make up cell membranes. This increases the risk of developing cancer and age-related chronic diseases.
For a long time, scientists believed that unsaturated lipids under oxidative stress are destroyed solely due to interaction with hydroxyl radicals. However, a new study by specialists from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory has shown that radicals have unusual "accomplices."
They turned out to be the so-called carbonyloxides, or Krige intermediates. These highly active unstable particles represent an "intermediate link" in many chemical reactions.
In 2015, researchers whose work is described in the Berkeley Lab Scientists Discover New Clue Behind Age-Related Diseases and Food Spoilage found that secondary ozonides are released when unsaturated lipids interact with hydroxyl radicals. The appearance of these compounds is characteristic of reactions of Krige intermediates with atmospheric aldehydes. This led the team to the idea that carbonyloxides are involved in the destruction of unsaturated lipids.
To prove this, the team members added molecules to the mixture with unsaturated lipids and hydroxyl radicals, which are known to interact only with Krige intermediates. This weakened the activity of carbonyloxides and significantly slowed down the rate of lipid degradation. Secondary ozonides were not released.
According to the authors, in general, the reaction looks like this. Hydroxyls interact with lipids and form Krige intermediates, which generate new hydroxyls. The cycle repeats repeatedly.
Given the possible role of the degradation of unsaturated lipids in the aging process, Krige intermediates may become a new target for combating age-related changes. For example, new types of antioxidants can be created based on the discovery.
Interestingly, the results obtained are important not only for medicine, but also for the food industry. The fact is that when products are damaged, the same lipid degradation reactions occur in them as in aging human tissues.
Article by Zeng et al. Evidence that Criegee intermediates drive autoxidation in unsaturated lipids is published in PNAS – VM.
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