Downloaded on June 20, 2014. The Journal of Clinical Investigation. More information at www.jci.org/articles/view/119253 In Vivo Action of 15-Lipoxygenase in Early Stages of Human Atherogenesis

Abstract

Oxidative modification of low density lipoprotein has been suggested as patho–physiologically relevant process in atherogenesis and the lipid peroxidizing enzyme 15-lipoxygenase may be involved. For experimental evidence on the in vivo action of this enzyme in the time course of plaque formation we analyzed the lipid extracts of lesional areas representing various stages of human atherogenesis for the occurrence of specific 15-lipoxygenase products. In advanced human lesions the degree of oxygenation of the lesion lipids measured as hydroxy linoleic acid/linoleic acid ratio varied between 0.2 and 3.2%. Here an unspecific pattern of oxygenated lipids that did not differ from the pattern formed during copper-catalyzed LDL oxidation was detected. In both cases an enantiomer ratio (S/R-ratio) of 13-hydroxy