Iron Behaving Badly: Inappropriate Iron Chelation as a Major Contributor to the Aetiology of Vascular and Other Progressive Inflammatory and Degenerative Diseases

The production of peroxide and superoxide is an inevitable consequence of aerobic metabolism, and while these particular "reactive oxygen species" (ROSs) can exhibit a number of biological effects, they are not of themselves excessively reactive and thus they are not especially damaging at physiological concentrations. However, their reactions with poorly liganded iron species can lead to the catalytic production of the very reactive and dangerous hydroxyl radical, which is exceptionally damaging, and a major cause of chronic inflammation. We review the considerable and wide-ranging evidence for the involvement of this combination of (su)peroxide and poorly liganded iron in a large number of physiological and indeed pathological processes and inflammatory disorders, especially those involving the progressive degradation of cellular and organismal performance. These diseases share a great many similarities and thus might be considered to have a common cause (i.e. iron-catalysed free radical and especially hydroxyl radical generation). The studies reviewed include those focused on a series of cardiovascular, metabolic and neurological diseases, where iron can be found at the sites of plaques and lesions, as well as studies showing the significance of iron to aging and longevity. The effective chelation of iron by natural or synthetic ligands is thus of major physiological (and potentially therapeutic) importance. As systems properties, we need to recognise that physiological observables have multiple molecular causes, and studying them in isolation leads to inconsistent patterns of apparent causality when it is the simultaneous combination of multiple factors that is responsible. This explains, for instance, the decidedly mixed effects of antioxidants that have been observed, etc...Comment: 159 pages, including 9 Figs and 2184 reference

Abortamento na adolescência: da vida à experiência do colo vazio - um estudo qualitativo Abortion in the adolescence: from life to the experience of the empty lap - a qualitative study

O presente estudo teve como objetivo investigar o processo de abortamento na adolescência, segundo a perspectiva da adolescente. Foi desenvolvido no Hospital Maternidade Santa Izabel, da cidade de Bauru (São Paulo, Brasil), e a metodologia qualitativa buscou compreender a experiência da adolescente no processo de abortamento, construindo um modelo teórico representativo. Utilizou-se como referencial teórico o interacionismo simbólico e como metodológico a grounded theory. Foram entrevistadas dez adolescentes, e a análise dos relatos constatou a descoberta da gravidez, os sentimentos emergentes, o difícil momento da internação, a esperança do retorno ao cotidiano acompanhado pelo apoio dos familiares e a necessidade de mudanças decorrentes de tal experiência. Dos depoimentos emergiram três fenômenos: descobrindo-se grávida, vivenciando o abortamento e reelaborando o plano de vida. A partir da análise do processo, desenvolveu-se a categoria central: "Abortamento na adolescência: da vida à experiência do colo vazio". Conclusão: a ocorrência do abortamento na adolescência causa diferentes sentimentos, podendo atingir as esferas biopsicossociais.<br>The present study aimed to investigate the process of abortion in the adolescence, according to adolescence perspective at Santa Izabel Maternity Hospital, in the city of Bauru - São Paulo, Brazil. The qualitative methodology tried to understand the adolescent's experience on the abortion process, building a theoretical sample that represents it. Symbolic interacionism was used as referential theory and grounded theory as methodological reference. Ten adolescents were interviewed and the analyses of the reports noticed the discovered of pregnancy, emergent feelings, the difficult moment of hospitalization, the hope for a return to quotidian followed by relatives help and the need of changes because of this experience. From the reports three phenomena were observed: find yourself pregnant; living the abortion and remaking of the life plan. From the analyses of the process it was developed the central category: "Abortion on adolescence: from life to the experience of empty lap". The occurrence of abortion in the adolescence causes different feelings and may reach bio psychosocial circles