Metabolic activation: a biological mechanism that augments the toxicity of xenobiotics Activación metabólica: un mecanismo biológico que aumenta la toxicidad de los xenobióticos.

Abstract

Metabolic changes sustained by foreign substances (biotransformation), xenobiotics, may not always lead to a decreased toxicity from these substances. Metabolic activation, a process that may increase toxicity and chemical reactivity of these substances, may occur at the first or second phase of biotransformation. Electrophiles of nucleophiles may be formed. Lipoperoxidation by free oxygen radicals may thus follow. Details of these processes are discussed in the paper.