Leveraging oxidative stress questions in vivo: Implications and limitations

The elegance of Helmut Sies' original definition of oxidative stress belies the complexity of the reactions that are potentially involved. This is by no means a criticism of the author, but rather how the words have been used to oversimplify the concept by some. Reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS and RNS, respectively) can be products of a myriad of events within the living body. Indeed, it is now understood that ROS/RNS are critical for normal cellular metabolism and have beneficial effects (e.g., cytotoxicity against invading bacteria). A general problem of studying prooxidants in vivo is that, due to their inherent reactivity, they generally cannot be measured directly. This indirect detection of 'footprints' leaves a very large black box that we are to this day only beginning to understand. This manuscript will summarize some considerations that are of utmost importance when translating oxidative stress into in vivo research. Helmut has been a key thought leader, researcher and mentor whose contributions to this field are immeasurable.