Free Radicals, Reactive Oxygen Species and Relationship with Oxidative Stress

Fluorine is a highly reactive chemical element and a member of halogen family. Fluorides entry into the organism and cells that increases the production of superoxide. Superoxide generates hydrogen peroxide, peroxynitrite, and hydroxyl radicals, and plays a decisive role at the relationship between fluorine and reactive oxygen species (ROS). The increase in ROS causes oxidative damage in lipid, protein, and DNA molecules. As a result of contact with fluoride, an increase in gene expression levels encoding stress related response factors in the body, signal transduction compounds, and apoptosis related proteins occurs. Assessment of these effects at the cellular level of fluor is important in terms of suggesting a new solution to the problem of fluorosis in Turkey. Fluoride levels were determined in water, soil, plant and sheep urine, tooth, bone samples in the areas of A？r？, Van, Mu？la, Eski？ehir, K？r？ehir, ？orum, Ankara, Hatay in Turkey. Results were evaluated to find out fluor toxicosis. In this review, the effect of fluoride in the living organism is addressed at cellular level, and the effect of fluoride on free radicals, ROS and oxidative stress formation is discussed