Oxidants and antioxidants in atherogenesis: an appraisal

Oxidized low density lipoprotein (Ox-LDL) has a plethora of components that are not present in native LDL, Their presence and quantity depends on the nature, type, and extent of oxidation, Lipids esterified to oxidized fatty acids are the major components formed during the early phase of oxidation a nd these show a number of proatherogenic properties in in vitro cell cultur e systems. Recently, evidence has been forthcoming to suggest that some of these oxidized lipids also could elicit "antioxidant-antiatherogenic" respo nses from cells. Moreover, some of the cellular effects of Ox-LDL that were previously interpreted as atherogenic could also be reinterpreted to sugge st an antiatherogenic cellular response. In addition to the above, the anti oxidants that are carried in lipoproteins could have anomalous behavior att ributable to their metabolism, ability to be internalized by arterial cells , and the presence of oxidative systems that could render them prooxidants. In conclusion, there are numerous contributing factors that need to be stu died and understood before antioxidant therapy becomes an option for the tr eatment for cardiovascular diseases.