Review of concepts and controversies of uric acid as antioxidant and pro- oxidant and ndash; an uncertainty

• Main Authors: Amar Nagesh Kumar, Pathiputhuru Aruna, Jupalle Nagaiah Naidu, Robby Kumar, Anuj Kumar Srivastava
• Format: Article
• Language: Turkish
• Published: Cukurova University Faculty of Medicine 2015-03-01
• Series: Arsiv Kaynak Tarama Dergisi
• Subjects: Hyperuricaemia; antioxidant; pro-oxidant; paradox; beneficial effects of uric acid
• Online Access: http://www.scopemed.org/fulltextpdf.php?mno=162974

Uric acid, the end product of purine catabolism in humans and is known for its crystal deposition at higher concentrations (>7 mg/dl) in gout. Less is known about its antioxidant property and the beneficial effects in various diseases. It is thought that high concentration of uric acid in humans is an evolutionary advantage and it is also hypothesized that high concentration of uric acid is to compensate the antioxidant capacity of ascorbic acid which is lost in humans during the course of evolution. In the extracelluar environment, uric acid can scavenge free radicals like hydroxyl radical, singlet oxygen and peroxynitrite radical therefore, it is considered as a powerful antioxidant. On the other hand uric acid depending upon the chemical milieu, changing its property and at times it acts as pro oxidant and is associated with the pathobiochemistry in developing various diseases like hypertension, cardio vascular diseases, ischemia reperfusion injury, diabetes mellitus, non alcoholic fatty liver disorders etc. In this review, we tried to summarize the evolutionary advantages of hyperuricaemia, effects of both antioxidant property and pro-oxidant nature of uric acid in various disease conditions.