Copper-containing Biomolecules

A number of investigations of metal-containing biomolecules are described in this chapter. The elements include aluminium, arsenic, cadmium, copper, gold, lead, platinum and zinc. 

There are a number of enzymes that catalyse the dismutation of superoxide in vivo, viz. the superoxide dismutases [50,51], They are metalloproteins which contain copper, zinc, manganese or iron as the prosthetic group. The enzyme catalase exists in vivo to degrade hydrogen peroxide within cells to form water and oxygen [43]. As stated earlier, there are barely detectable amounts of these two enzymes in the synovial fluid of arthritic patients and hence both superoxide radicals and hydrogen peroxide are potential mediators of damage to the biomolecules of the synovial fluid. 

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