Antioxidative activity of high density lipoproteins in vivo

The present study consists of experimental and clinical investigations. It was shown that a single intravenous injection of a large dose of human HDL 3 (200 mg protein) to rabbits with induced hypercholesterolemia (plasma cholesterol 500–700 mg/dl) was accompanied by a significant elevation of plasma HDL and led to a decrease ( P < 0.05) of conjugated dienes and trienes by 20–30% after 6 h. Conjugated dienes remained stable for 24 h after HDL administration. In the clinical investigations a weak but statistically significant negative correlation ( r = 0.262; P = 0.006) between HDL cholesterol and the content conjugated dienes in the plasma of a total group of healthy subjects and patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) was found. The data allowed us to conclude that, in addition to other antioxidative systems, HDL also take part in the protection of plasma lipids from peroxidation.