الفهرس 
INTRODUCTION AND AIM OF TH£ WORKOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
 |  | from | 230 |  |  |
| | | from | 230 | | |
Abstract
Free radicals are compounds with one unpaired
electron. They are highly reactive and initiate chain
reactions, which form new free radicals, they injure
membranes by lipid peroxidation, inactivate enzymes,
irljure DNA, and degrade structural proteins (Saugstad,
1990).
Oxygen radicals are oxygen species like the
•
superoxide radicals 02, the hydroxyl radical OH, and
singlet oxygen. They are produced in the nonnal
metabolism as well as by activated leucocytes as a part
of the defence mechanism against bacteria (Babior et
aL, 1973).
They are also formed by several enzyme systems.
The most important of which may be the hypoxanthinexanthine
oxidase system (McCord and Fridovich,
1968).
The insight into the mechanisms of production of
oxygen radicals sheds light on a number of conditions
with an unknown pathogenesis (Saugstad, 1996).
Saugstad (1990), reported that a series of
conditions in neonates may at least partly be caused by
oxygen radicals e.g., bronchopulmonary dysplasia,
retinopathy of prematurity, necrotizing enterocolitis and patent ductus arteriosus. He added that these conditions
may be different faces of one disease, the ”oxygen
radical disease in neonatology”.
Sokol and Hoffenberg (1996), added that there
is a strong relation between free radical and
gastrointestinal and liver disease in the pediatric age
group such as inflammatory bowel disease, intestinal
ischemia, necrotizing enterocolitis, inflammatory and
immune liver diseases.