Oxidation of low-density lipoproteins: questions of initiation, propagation, and the effect of antioxidants.

Oxidation of low-density lipoproteins (LDLs) plays a role in the development of atherosclerosis, but many questions remain unanswered. This paper aims to evaluate critically the available data pertinent to the following questions: 1) How is LDL oxidation initiated, especially in early atherosclerotic lesions? 2) Is nitric oxide good or bad in lesions? and 3) Which antioxidants are really important in protecting LDLs against oxidation in the human body?