The principal antioxidant in human LDL, alpha-tocopherol, is converted to the alpha-tocopheroxyl radical after reaction with peroxyl radicals or Cu2+, and, if it does not terminate with peroxyl radicals, could initiate lipid peroxidation; a phenomenon called 'tocopherol mediated peroxidation'. Only in the presence of Cu2+ and low levels of lipid hydroperoxides was an alpha-tocopherol dependent decrease in the resistance of LDL to oxidation detected. This suggests that tocopherol mediated peroxidation will probably not contribute significantly as a pro-oxidant process in those individuals most at risk of developing atherosclerosis through an oxidative mechanism.
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Iwatsuki et al. (1995) studied this question.
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