The influence of diet-induced hypercholesterolemia on the degree of oxidation of glutathione in rabbit aorta.

In rabbits fed a cholesterol-rich diet for 4 weeks, an increased lipid peroxidation rate was found in plasma and aortic wall tissue. Furthermore, there was a significant increase of glutathione disulfide in aortic tissue indicating a mechanism whereby hypercholesterolemia may influence sulfhydryl group-dependent reactions of vessel wall metabolism.