Physiological and pathological vascular responses depend on the action of n
umerous intercellular medial tore, ranging from hormones to gases like nitr
ic oxide, proteins, and lipids. The last group consists not only of the dif
ferent types of lipoproteins, but also includes a broad array of other lipo
philic signaling molecules such as fatty acids, eicosanoids, phospholipids
and their derivatives, sphingolipids and isoprenoids. Due to space limitati
ons, it is impossible to discuss art the vascular effects of lipophilic med
iators or compounds. Therefore, we will focus on one of the most important
lipid-mediated diseases, atherosclerosis. Lipoproteins and especially their
native or oxidized lipid compounds affect vascular function in many differ
ent ways, and these effects do not only modulate atherogenesis but are of p
aramount physiological and pathophysiological importance in other diseases,
such as inflammation, tumor metastasis, or normal wound healing.