Peroxynitrite:: In vivo and In vitro synthesis and oxidant degradative action on biological systems regarding biomolecular injury and inflammatory processes

This review summarizes all significant data regarding peroxynitrite chemistry, the ways of its synthetic preparation as well as the degradative action of this species on biomolecules, in particular glycosaminoglycans, among which the hyaluronan degradation by peroxynitrite has recently been the subject of greater interest than ever before. The complex chemical behavior of a peroxynitrite molecule is strongly influenced by a few factors; conformational structural forms, active intermediates release, presence of CO2 and trace transition metals, different reaction conditions, as well as the rules of kinetics. Special attention was focused on monitoring of the kinetics of the degradative action of peroxynitrite in or without the presence of residual hydrogen peroxide on high-molar-mass hyaluronan.