Role of vitamin E in preventing the oxidation of low-density lipoprotein

Abstract

The fatty acid composition, antioxidants, and the oxidation resistance of the low-density lipoproteins (LDL) from a number of different donors were determined. The oxidation resistance of LDL, as determined in vitro by the duration of the lag-phase in copper ion-induced oxidation, did not correlate with the α-tocopherol content of the LDL. By supplementating plasma with vitamin E, the a-tocopherol content of LDL could be increased from ∼9 to 30 mol/mol LDL and also the oxidative resistance increased nearly linearly with increasing α-tocopherol content. The results indicate that α-tocopherol is an important, yet not the only parameter that determines the oxidation resistance of LDL.