Lipids in vascular function

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.