Role of Oxidative Stress as Key Regulator of Muscle Wasting during Cachexia

Figure 1

Oxidative stress in muscle is produced by an imbalance between oxidant and antioxidant species. Soluble atrophic factors produced by different diseases induce an imbalance of the oxidative state, increasing oxidant species such as O₂·⁻, H₂O₂, and OH· and decreasing antioxidant species such as catalase, glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and superoxide dismutase (SOD). This imbalance is denominated as “oxidative stress” and produces oxidative damage in lipids, DNA, and proteins, impairing functionality of proteins and cellular structures.