Acetaminophen Hepatotoxicity: Strong offense and weakened defense

Oxidative stress refers to the consequences of exposure to reactive oxygen species. In many disease conditions, interruption along the mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) leads to build up of electrons which are transferred to O2. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) then can oxidize any chemical constituent of cells. This causes thiol-disulfide redox stress or imbalance which activates or inhibits many enzymes and signal transduction pathways. Countering oxidative/redox stress is antioxidant defense which detoxifies reactive oxygen. The transcription factor, Nrf2 regulates the expression of many enzymes of defense.