Advances in Redox Research (Dec 2023)
Endogenous ozone as a regular reactive oxygen species in (patho) physiology
Abstract
Inhalation of tropospheric ozone increases the risk of respiratory diseases and the metabolic syndrome (MS). On the other hand, medical ozone therapy is used in the management of many chronic diseases including components of MS. However, medical ozone has not gained universal acceptance because the mechanisms involved therein are not fully understood. Ozone has also been reported to be endogenously formed in cells and organisms. Like medical ozone, endogenous ozone has not been fully embraced, due to limited understanding of the mechanisms of its formation. This review seeks to improve our understanding of the mechanisms of endogenous ozone formation by outlining previously proposed mechanisms, and suggesting new pathways based on reactions that have been reported to be involved in tropospheric ozone formation and electrochemical ozone production from water. New perspectives on the mechanisms of the harms of ozone inhalation and the benefits of medical ozone are discussed. It is hypothesized that endogenous ozone is involved in the harmful effects of particulate matter and ozone inhalation, as well as the benefits of medical ozone, nutraceuticals and physical activity. Thus, endogenous ozone should be regarded as a mainstream reactive oxygen species in redox biology.
