氧化型胆固醇与动脉粥样硬化的关系

Relationship beteen Oxysterols and Atherosclerosis

氧化型胆固醇是胆固醇氧化衍生物，多达上百种。氧化型胆固醇存在于胆固醇膳食、高胆固醇血症的血浆和动脉组织、人动脉粥样硬化斑块和斑块内的泡沫细胞、以及氧化型低密度脂蛋白中。大量实验表明氧化型胆固醇对与动脉粥样硬化形成有关的细胞（如血管内皮细胞、平滑肌细胞以及单核巨噬细胞等）具有毒性作用。提示，氧化型胆固醇在动脉粥样硬化的发生和演变中具有不可忽视的作用。

Oxysterols , being oxygenated derivatives of cholesterol, are as many kinds as one hundred.They are found in the foodstuffs, the blood and arterial tissues of animals with hypercholesterolemia, the human atheroma, the foam cell from atherosclerotic tissues,as well as in the oxidized low density lipoprotein.The results of experiments have demonstrated that oxysterols are cytotoxic and they are injurious to a variety of cells including vascular endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells and monocyte/macrophages, suggesting that oxysterols could play a key role in the initiation and pathogenesis of atherosclerosis.