Oxidized nucleic acids

 Lipid peroxidation consists of the hydroxy radical attack of unsaturated lipids to generate highly reactive secondary products such as reactive carbonyls and reactive aldehydes, which are able to inactivate enzyme active sites overriding their physiological role. Furthermore, oxidized membranes have altered mobility. Aldehyde adducts of protein are common on senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles and are most prominent in cell bodies of vulnerable neurons. 

When proteins are oxidized, the peptide bond could be compromised and it can be cleaved. Moreover, reactive carbonyls are frequently generated and also protein nitration, a related phenomenon. All these protein modifications happen prominently in neuronal cell bodies. Lastly, nucleic acids could also be affected by oxidation. ROS can alter both purinic and pyrimidinic bases with mutagenic and even deleterious results. Vulnerable neuronal cell bodies accumulate ostensibly oxidized nucleic acids. Consequently, it is not surprising that antioxidant therapy has been proposed countless times as a treatment for Alzheimer’s disease. Why Vitamin E as a treatment for AD?