Aw. Girotti, LIPID HYDROPEROXIDE GENERATION, TURNOVER, AND EFFECTOR ACTION IN BIOLOGICAL-SYSTEMS, Journal of lipid research, 39(8), 1998, pp. 1529-1542
Lipid peroxidation is a well known example of oxidative damage in cell
membranes, lipoproteins, and other lipid-containing structures. Perox
idative modification of unsaturated phospholipids, glycolipids, and ch
olesterol can occur in reactions triggered by i) free radical species
such as oxyl radicals, peroxyl radicals, and hydroxyl radicals derived
from iron-mediated reduction of hydrogen peroxide or ii) non-radical
species such as singlet oxygen, ozone, and peroxynitrite generated by
the reaction of superoxide with nitric oxide. Lipid hydroperoxides (LO
OHs) are prominent non-radical intermediates of lipid peroxidation who
se identification can often provide valuable mechanistic information,
e.g., whether a primary reaction is mediated by singlet oxygen or oxyr
adicals, Certain cholesterol-derived hydroperoxides (ChOOHs) have been
used very effectively in this regard, both in model systems and cells
. Being more polar than parent lipids, LOOHs perturb membrane structur
e/function and can be deleterious to cells on this basis alone. Howeve
r, LOOHs can also participate in redox reactions, the nature and magni
tude of which often determines whether peroxidative injury is exacerba
ted or prevented. Exacerbation may reflect iron-catalyzed one-electron
reduction of LOOHs, resulting in free radical-mediated chain peroxida
tion, whereas prevention may reflect selenoperoxidase-catalyzed two-el
ectron reduction of LOOHs to relatively non-toxic alcohols. LOOH parti
tioning between these two pathways in an oxidatively stressed cell is
still poorly understood, but recent cell studies involving various ChO
OHs have begun to shed light on this important question. An aspect of
related interest that is under intensive investigation is lipid peroxi
dation/LOOH-mediated stress signaling, which may evoke a variety of ce
llular responses, ranging from induction of antioxidant enzymes to apo
ptotic death, Ongoing exploration of these processes will have importa
nt bearing on our understanding of disease states associated with pero
xidative stress.