Free heme contributes as a major threat to the oxidative tissue injuries because it catalyzes the formation of reactive oxygen species. When free heme concentration is increased, it results in the induction of heme oxygenase-1 (HO- 1), which then breaks free heme down. As such, HO-1 plays a pivotal role in the protection of tissues from oxidative injuries.
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Takahashi et al. (2007) studied this question.