title: Coantioxidants make alpha-tocopherol an efficient antioxidant for low-density lipoprotein.
abstract: The oxidation of low-density lipoproteins (LDLs) is now commonly implicated as an important early event in atherogenesis. The resulting interest in LDL antioxidation has focused on alpha-tocopherol, the biologically and chemically most active form of vitamin E and quantitatively the major lipid-soluble antioxidant in extracts prepared from human LDL. We review advances made in our understanding of the molecular action of alpha-tocopherol in radical-mediated oxidation of isolated human LDL and how the vitamin's antioxidant activity is enhanced or even dependent on the presence of suitable reducing species, which are referred to as coantioxidants.
mesh_terms: D015095:3-Hydroxyanthranilic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D001663:Bilirubin / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL / Q000378:metabolism*; D014451:Ubiquinone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL; D014451:Ubiquinone; D014810:Vitamin E; D015095:3-Hydroxyanthranilic Acid; C026663:ubiquinol-10; D001205:Ascorbic Acid; D001663:Bilirubin