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. 2019 Aug;16(3):396–414. doi: 10.20892/j.issn.2095-3941.2019.0097

1.

When pancreatitis occurs, macrophages and neutrophils in pancreas secrete a large amount of nitric oxide (NO), superoxide (O<sub>2</sub>·<sup>–</sup>) and nitrite (NO<sub>2</sub><sup>–</sup>) for the eradication of microbial pathogens and processing dead cells. These molecules are unstable and react with each other or microenvironment to produce hypochlorous acid (HOCl) and nitrosoperoxycarbonate (ONOOCO<sub>2</sub><sup>–</sup>), generating RNS and ROS including nitrogen dioxide radical (NO<sub>2</sub>·), and carbonate radical (CO<sub>3</sub>·<sup>–</sup>). The reactive species have significant side effects on normal cells such as ductal cells in pancreas via attacking their genomic DNA. This poses great threat on genomic integrity and potentially causes pancreatic cancer.

RNS and ROS in pancreas and the potential risk of tumorigenesis.