Oxidation of LDL in baboons is increased by alcohol and attenuated by polyenylphosphatidylcholine

Alcohol taken in moderation may prevent atherosclerosis, whereas heavy drin king has the opposite effect, in part by promoting oxidation of low density lipoproteins (LDL), a pathogenetic factor in atherogenesis, We assess here : 1)whether similar alterations can be reproduced in baboons fed 50% of ene rgy as ethanol (the average intake of alcoholics) for 7-8 years, and 2) whe ther such alterations are affected by supplementation with polyenylphos-pha tidylcholine (PPC), a mixture of polyunsaturated phosphatidylcholines, show n to prevent alcoholic fatty liver, fibrosis, and cirrhosis, Ten animals we re given the ethanol-containing diet and ten were pair-fed isocaloric contr ol diets. In half of the pairs, the diets were supplemented with 2.8 g of p olyenylphosphatidylcholine/1000 kcal, Alcohol feeding increased LDL-lipoper oxides and made LDL proteins more negatively charged, changes that were att enuated or prevented by PPC, The oxidizability of LDL was determined in vit ro by the formation of conjugated dienes after oxidation with copper. Alcoh ol shortened the lag time (which measures LDL antioxidant capacity); this e ffect was normalized by PPC supplementation. By contrast, PPC produced no c hanges in the controls. Thus polyenylphosphatidylcholine, by markedly atten uating the ethanol-induced increase in LDL oxidation, opposes one of the ef fects whereby alcohol promotes atherosclerosis,-Navder, Ii P., E. Baraona, M. X. Lee, and C. S. Lieber. Oxidation of LDL in baboons is increased by al cohol and attenuated by polpenylphosphatidvlcholine.