Iron, free radicals, and oxidative injury.

Iron metabolism and superoxide metabolism are clearly interactive, especially under pathological conditions. Each can exacerbate the toxicity of the other. Iron overload may amplify the damaging effects of superoxide overproduction in a very broad spectrum of inflammatory or ischemia-related conditions. Furthermore, chronic oxidative stress may modulate iron uptake and storage, leading to a self-sustained and ever-increasing spiral of cytotoxic and mutagenic events.