Chapter 8: Manganese and Oxidative Stress

Although reactive oxygen species (ROS) are known to play crucial roles in maintaining cellular homeostasis, either an excessive increase in their production or a decrease of their detoxification causes oxidative stress, which is characterized as a disturbance in the pro-oxidant/antioxidant balance in favor of the former, leading to cellular damage. This chapter delves into the relationship between manganese (Mn) toxicity and oxidative stress. Although Mn has central physiological roles as cofactor of several enzymes, including antioxidant enzymes (i.e. Mn-superoxide dismutase), this chapter focuses on the pro-oxidative properties of Mn, presenting and discussing literature data concerning its effects on mitochondrial functioning, dopamine oxidation, and antioxidant defenses. The potential use of antioxidant approaches to mitigate Mn-induced toxicity is also presented.