Nitric Oxide: Oxygen Radical Interactions in Atherosclerosis

• Main Authors: HOMERO RUBBO, CARLOS BATTHYANY, RAFAEL RADI
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: BMC 2000-01-01
• Series: Biological Research
• Subjects: antioxidants; free radicals; lipid oxidation; low density lipoprotein oxidation; nitric oxide; peroxynitrite
• Online Access: http://www.scielo.cl/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0716-97602000000200017

Atherosclerosis is one of the most common diseases and the principal cause of death in western civilization. The pathogenesis of this disease can be explained on the basis of the ‘oxidative-modification hypothesis,’ which proposes that low-density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation represents a key early event. Nitric oxide (.NO) regulates critical lipid membrane and lipoprotein oxidation events by a) contributing to the formation of more potent secondary oxidants from superoxide (i.e.: peroxynitrite), and b) its antioxidant properties through termination reactions with lipid radicals to possibly less reactive secondary nitrogen-containing products (LONO, LOONO). Relative rates of production and steady state concentrations of superoxide and .NO and cellular sites of production will profoundly influence the expression of differential oxidant injury-enhancing and protective effects of .NO. Full understanding of the physiological roles of .NO, coupled with detailed insight into .NO regulation of oxygen radical-dependent reactions, will yield a more rational basis for intervention strategies directed toward oxidant-dependent atherogenic processes