RNA and Oxidative Stress in Alzheimer’s Disease: Focus on microRNAs

Table 1

Reasons why RNA species in human brain are vulnerable to oxidative insults.

RNA species	(i) Abundance in a cell; (ii) Mostly single-stranded form and less protection by proteins; (iii) Localization in the vicinity of mitochondria, the major source of ROS; (iv) No known repair mechanisms for oxidized RNA
Human brain	(i) High oxygen consumption rate; (ii) High content of easily peroxidizable polyunsaturated fatty acids; (iii) High content of transition metals that catalyze ROS-generating reactions; (iv) Low content of antioxidant enzyme catalase

ROS: reactive oxygen species.