Review article: chronic inflammation and reactive oxygen and nitrogen metabolism - implications in DNA damage and mutagenesis

It is well known that chronic inflammation of the digestive tract is associ ated with an increased risk of malignant transformation. Because phagocytic leukocytes and cytokine-activated parachymal cells produce large amounts o f reactive metabolites of oxygen and nitrogen, there has been substantial i nterest in ascertaining whether these reactive intermediates may mediate mu tagenesis and malignant transformation in vivo. However, very little inform ation is available regarding the basic chemistry of how these oxygen and ni trogen-derived species may interact to yield potentially carcinogenic agent s. This review will discuss our present understanding of the chemical and b iochemical interactions between superoxide and nitric oxide and provide a m odel by which these reactive species may damage DNA and mediate mutagenesis .