title: Animal studies on antioxidants.
abstract: The wealth of existing epidemiologic evidence suggests that antioxidant intake limits the clinical expression of coronary artery disease. Because the oxidative modification of low-density lipoprotein is an important event in atherogenesis, it has been attractive to speculate that antioxidants act by limiting low-density lipoprotein orientation and, as a consequence, atherosclerotic lesion development. Early studies on animals also suggested that a number of structurally distinct antioxidant compounds could limit the extent of lesion development in animal models of atherosclerosis. More recently, however, secure evidence linking the antioxidant protection of low-density lipoprotein with a reduction in atherosclerosis has been elusive. This discrepancy may be explained by emerging evidence demonstrating that antioxidants may prove beneficial through tissue-specific effects that are not strictly related to the antioxidant protection of low-density lipoprotein.
authors.affiliation: Evans Memorial Department of Medicine, Whitaker Cardiovascular Institute, Boston University School of Medicine, MA 021118, USA.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Afridi
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Keaney
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D011817:Rabbits
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants