Atherosclerosis free radical involvement

Increased levels of ROS due to oxidative stress have been consistently found in cardiovascular diseases as atherosclerosis or hypertension [18]. There is certain evidence that the free radicals involved in Parkinson s disease are mainly due to the production of increased levels of free radicals during oxidative metabolism of dopamine [19]. Oxidative stress, manifested by protein oxidation and lipid peroxidation (LP), among other alterations, is a characteristic of Alzheimer s disease [20] and in the pathogenesis of diabetes related complications. Treatment with antioxidants seemed to be a promising therapeutic option for these diseases [21], The inflammatory nature of rheumatoid arthritis implies that a state of oxidative stress may also exist in this disease [22,23]. Also, free radicals have a certain role in Huntington s disease [24,25], age related degeneration [26], and some autoimmune disorders [27],... 

Convincing evidence indicates that ROS generated both endogenously and also in response to diet and lifestyle factors may play a significant role in the etiology of atherosclerosis and CHD. Indeed, free radicals are responsible for LDL oxidation, which is involved in the initiation and promotion of atherosclerosis. Thus, protection from LDL oxidation by antioxidants such as carotenoids may lead to protection against human CHD. 

It has been found that the 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA (HMG CoA) inhibitors statins (atorvastatin, pravastatin, and cerivastatin), widely prescribed cholesterol-lowering agents, are able to inhibit phorbol ester-stimulated superoxide formation in endothelial-intact segments of the rat aorta [64] and suppress angiotensin II-mediated free radical production [65]. Delbose et al. [66] found that statins inhibited NADPH oxidase-catalyzed PMA-induced superoxide production by monocytes. It was suggested that statins can prevent or limit the involvement of superoxide in the development of atherosclerosis. It is important that statin... 

Free radicals might be involved in the incidences of various diseases such as arthritis, hemorrhagic shock, atherosclerosis, advancing age, ischemia and reperfusion injury of many organs, Alzheimer and Parkinson s disease, gastrointestinal dysfunctions, tumor promotion and carcinogenesis, AIDS, and other human health problems [85]. The oxidative proanthocyanidins as antioxidants could quench the free radicals and might help to enhance the action of other antioxidants such as vitamin C. 

Oxidation of cellular components by reactive oxygen species (ROS) and free radicals is involved in a variety of serious acute and chronic diseases inflammation [56], ischemia-reperfusion damage [57,58], limg disease [59], kidney damage [60], atherosclerosis, diabetes, allergies, cancer and aging [61]. 

It has now been recognized that oxidation of human LDL cholesterol by free radicals arising from lipid oxidation products maybe involved in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, and transition metal... 

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