different origin. Thus, erythrocytes are known to be abundantly
equipped with SOD, an enzyme rapidly converting ·O2
− to
H2O2 thus providing a first line of defense against oxidative
damage. On the other hand, under oxidant conditions erythrocytes
are known to switch from glycolytic pathway of energy
production to hexose monophosphate shunt (HMS), a process
generating NADPH [46]. NADPH is used to keep the GSH
inside the cell in a reduced state, while reduced GSH helps
prevent the oxidation of the iron in hemoglobin from Fe2+ to
Fe3+ with formation of superoxide.