Introduction
A book chapter represents a special type of literature overview, which offers the promise of covering topics and addressing issues which are relevant and topical but which will also stand the test of time. It is appealing to focus on topical issues, which will hopefully provide some immediate insight into problems and questions confronting investigators in the field. However, undue focus on topical issues predisposes the discussion to becoming dated prior to, or shortly after, appearing in print. Thus, the expressed purpose of this chapter will be to deal with broader concepts which will, hopefully, provide stable foundations to interpret results and permit better comprehension of both current and future topical issues relating to nitrogen oxide-derived oxidative injury relevant to neurodegenerative disease. The author's training and research background is in the chemistry and biochemistry of biologically produced oxidants, biochemical mechanisms of oxidative injury, and the pharmacology of endogenous and synthetic antioxidants. Thus, these perspectives will be emphasized, leaving the broader issues of neuroscience to the preeminent neuroscientists elsewhere in this volume. Also, because entire chapters could be devoted to many of the topics covered, citations for relevant literature reviews will be emphasized and the primary literature cited only when necessary.
Why is identification of reactive species and biomolecular targets so difficult?
For many decades, it has been understood that oxidative injury, both acute and chronic, plays a central role in numerous human disease processes and aging, yet major advances in identifying specific reactive species and/or the specific biomolecular targets responsible for cell injury and death have been few and far between.