Evolution of the Knowledge of Free Radicals and Other Oxidants

Table 1

Steps in evolving knowledge of free radicals.

Toxic effects of oxygen on central nervous system (Paul Bert effect)	Bert [61]
Pulmonary toxicity of oxygen (Lorrain Smith effect)	Smith [62]
Preparation of the triphenylmethyl radical, (C6H5)3C^⋅	Gomberg [5]
Properties of xanthine oxidoreductase (XOR)	Schardinger [100]
Oxygen effect on radiosensitivity	Schwartz [44]
Isolation of the atomic hydrogen	Wood [11]
Preparation of the free radical methyl (^⋅CH3)	Paneth and Hofeditz [13]
“Activated solvent” hypothesis for indirect action of ionizing radiation	Risse [40]
Discovery of free radicals as biochemical intermediates in biological systems	Michaelis [29]
First utilization of X-rays for cancer treatment	Grubbe [218]
Discovery of the “peroxide effect”	Kharasch and Mayo [14]
Generation of the hydroxyl radical	Haber and Weiss [27]
Suggestion of a link between retinopathy and excess of oxygen	Campbell [64]
Involvement of free radical in oxygen toxicity	Gerschman et al. [68]
Observation of free radicals in biological systems by ESR	Commoner et al. [69]
Detection by ESR of a semiquinone during the riboflavin oxide-reduction	Beinert [31]
Implication of free radicals in biological aging	Harman [70]
Formation of H2O2 by microsomal NADPH oxidase	Gillette et al. [86]
Spin restriction in oxygen reactivity	Taube [67]
Discovery of the superoxide dismutase (SOD)	McCord and Fridovich [71]
“Superoxide theory” of oxygen toxicity	McCord et al. [74]
Generation of H2O2 by pigeon heart mitochondria	Loschen et al. [82]
Mitochondrial formation of H2O2 under hyperbaric conditions	Boveris and Chance [85]
Superoxide as initial product of respiratory burst	Babior et al. [95]
H2O2 mimics the signaling activity of insulin	Czech et al. [238]
Stimulation of NADPH oxidase by insulin	Mukherjee and Lynn [240]
Activation by ^⋅OH radical of guanylate cyclase	Mittal and Murad [237]
Oxygen radical involvement in reperfusion injury	Granger et al. [102]
Observation by ESR of ROS production during exercise	Davies et al. [199]
Formation of peroxynitrite from nitric oxide and superoxide	Blough and Zafiriou [129]
Definition of “oxidative stress”	Sies [157]
Increase in lipid peroxidation in hyperthyroid rat liver	Fernández et al. [181]
Identification of bacterial oxyR gene	Christman et al. [260]
Identification of endothelial-derived relaxing factor (EDRF) in NO^⋅	Ignarro et al. [121]; Khan and Furchgott [122]; Palmer et al. [123]
Purification of nitric oxide synthase (NOS)	Bredt and Snyder [125]
Relationship between free radicals and muscle fatigue	Reid et al. [249]
Training slows down peroxidative processes during acute exercise	Venditti and Di Meo [331]
Discovery of Nrf2	Itoh et al. [265]
Training decreased free radical activity	Venditti et al. [337]
Mechanisms by which ROS initiate cellular signaling	Thannickal and Fanburg [295]
Antioxidant supplementation prevents training-induced useful adaptations for muscular cells	Gomez-Cabrera et al. [339]
ROS generation promotes healthy aging	Ristow and Schmeisser [254]