Hydroxyl radical induced apoptosis is closely related to changes in cellular energy/redox metabolism

Reactive oxygen species (RDS), including the hydroxyl radical (OH), are known to be potential modulators of apoptosi s. However, the biochemical mechanisms underlying apoptosis induced by OH, namely how the radical induces a cell to die, are poorly understood. The present work highlights the changes of the energy/redox status during apoptosis by exogenous OH-treatment. HeLa cells were induced to undergo typical apoptosis by OH generated directly via the Fe
²⁺
-mediated Fenton reaction. The thermodynamics study indicated that the OH-treatment ircreased the cellular heat output in the first hours, and then the cellular thermodynamics shifted to endothermic. The data demonstrates that the mitochondria are actively involved in