Oxidative Stress Implication in Retinal Diseases—A Review
Marcella Nebbioso,
Federica Franzone,
Alessandro Lambiase,
Vincenza Bonfiglio,
Paolo Giuseppe Limoli,
Marco Artico,
Samanta Taurone,
Enzo Maria Vingolo,
Antonio Greco,
Antonella Polimeni
Affiliations
Marcella Nebbioso
Department of Sense Organs, Faculty of Medicine and Odontology, Sapienza University of Rome, p.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
Federica Franzone
Turin Hospital Ophthalmic, via F. Juvarra 19, 10122 Turin, Italy
Alessandro Lambiase
Department of Sense Organs, Faculty of Medicine and Odontology, Sapienza University of Rome, p.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
Vincenza Bonfiglio
Department of Experimental Biomedicine and Clinical Neuroscience, Ophthalmology Section, University of Palermo, Via del Vespro 129, 90127 Palermo, Italy
Paolo Giuseppe Limoli
Low Vision Research Centre of Milan, p.zza Sempione 3, 20145 Milan, Italy
Marco Artico
Department of Sense Organs, Faculty of Medicine and Odontology, Sapienza University of Rome, p.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
Samanta Taurone
IRCCS, Fondazione Bietti, via Livenza 3, 00198 Rome, Italy
Enzo Maria Vingolo
Department of Sense Organs, Faculty of Medicine and Odontology, Sapienza University of Rome, p.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
Antonio Greco
Department of Sense Organs, Faculty of Medicine and Odontology, Sapienza University of Rome, p.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
Antonella Polimeni
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome 5, p.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
Oxidative stress (OS) refers to an imbalance between free radicals (FRs), namely highly reactive molecules normally generated in our body by several pathways, and intrinsic antioxidant capacity. When FR levels overwhelm intrinsic antioxidant defenses, OS occurs, inducing a series of downstream chemical reactions. Both reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) are produced by numerous chemical reactions that take place in tissues and organs and are then eliminated by antioxidant molecules. In particular, the scientific literature focuses more on ROS participation in the pathogenesis of diseases than on the role played by RNS. By its very nature, the eye is highly exposed to ultraviolet radiation (UVR), which is directly responsible for increased OS. In this review, we aimed to focus on the retinal damage caused by ROS/RNS and the related retinal pathologies. A deeper understanding of the role of oxidative and nitrosative stress in retinal damage is needed in order to develop targeted therapeutic interventions to slow these pathologies.