Vitamin E and other Lipophilic Antioxidants Protect LDL against Oxidation

✍ Scribed by Esterbauer, H. ;Rotheneder, M. ;Striegl, G. ;Waeg, G. ;Ashy, A. ;Sattler, W. ;Jürgens, G.

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1989
• Weight: 976 KB
• Volume: 91
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0931-5985
• DOI: 10.1002/lipi.19890910805

✦ Synopsis

Oxidized LDL is taken up by the macrophage scavenger receptor and leads to lipid laden foam cells, which are characteristic constituents of early atherosclerotic lesions. Oxidation of LDL is a lipid peroxidation process, in which the PUFAs contained in the LDL lipids (on average 1200 molecules PUFAs/LDL particle, 88 O/ o 18 : 2, 12 "10 20 : 4) are rapidly converted to lipid hydroperoxides and to aldehydic lipid peroxidation products. Aldehydes and lipid alkoxy radicals alter the property of the apo-B.

The rapid oxidation of LDL is preceded by a lag phase during which the endogeneous antioxidants of LDL are consumed in the sequence: alphatocopherol, gamma-tocopherol, lycopine, retinyl derivative and betacarotene. LDL with artificially elevated alpha-tocopherol content is significantly more resistant to oxidation as measured by the duration of the lag phase. Urate and ascorbate can also retard LDL oxidation, *