High plasma level of cholesterol is a well-known risk factor for atherosclerotic diseases. Oxidized LDL induces cellular and nuclear damage that leads to apoptotic cell death. We tested the hypothesis that flavonoids may function as antioxidants with regard to LDL incubated with 5 microm-Cu(2+) alone or in combination with human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). Cytotoxicity and formati...

It has been well established that purified lipoprotein lipase (LPL) can facilitate the cellular uptake of various native and modified lipoproteins when added exogenously to macrophages. Because activated macrophages express LPL endogenously, it was the aim of this study to investigate the effect of macrophage-produced LPL on the uptake of native low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and LDL that has be...

Cocoa powder is rich in polyphenols, such as catechins and procyanidins, and has been shown in a variety of subject models to inhibit oxidized LDL and atherogenesis. Our study evaluated plasma LDL cholesterol and oxidized LDL concentrations following the intake of different levels of cocoa powder (13, 19.5, and 26 g/d) in normocholesterolemic and mildly hypercholesterolemic humans. In this comp...

Oxidative modification of low density lipoprotein (LDL) generates a form that is degraded much more rapidly by macrophages and may thus be more atherogenic than unoxidized LDL. Recently, we provided evidence that oxidative modification of LDL may play a significant role in the generation of fatty streaks in the LDL receptor-deficient rabbit. The major lipoprotein in cholesterol-fed animals is t...

BACKGROUND Atherosclerosis starts by lipid accumulation in the arterial intima and progresses into a chronic vascular inflammatory disease. A major atherogenic process is the formation of lipid-loaded macrophages in which a breakdown of the endolysomal pathway results in irreversible accumulation of cargo in the late endocytic compartments with a phenotype similar to several forms of lipidosis....

Binding of modified lipoproteins including oxidized low density lipoprotein (oxidized LDL) to cell surface receptors is an initial step of conversion of monocyte-derived macrophages into lipid-laden foam cells, a key cellular component in the early lesions of atherosclerosis. We have searched for microbial metabolites that inhibit oxidized LDL-induced lipid accumulation in macrophages and isola...

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effects of low concentrations of oxidized LDL (oxLDL) on the proliferation and spontaneous motility of human coronary artery endothelial cells (HCAEC) in culture. METHODS Cultures of HCAEC were treated with low concentrations of native LDL (nLDL) isolated from human plasma and with LDL minimally oxidized through different chemical methods; the effects were compare...