A Rapid Method for Measurement of the Susceptibility to Oxidation of Low-Density Lipoprotein

Abstract
Oxidation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) may be important in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. We describe a method which measures the oxidation resistance of LDL isolated by a rapid procedure without added antioxidants. LDL was isolated from heparinized plasma by density gradient ultracentrifugation and desalted by gel filtration. The protein concentration was standardized to 50 mg/L and oxidation was promoted by copper (2 μmol/L) at 37°C. The total sample preparation time was 2·5 h. Conjugated diene production was monitored at λ = 234 nm with computation of the lag time. LDL oxidation was inhibited by EDTA but not heparin. Albumin inhibited LDL oxidation but only in concentrations greater than 50 mg/L. LDL was stable in frozen plasma (–70°C) for 10 weeks, but unstable in the isolated and desalted state. The lag time for LDL from patients treated with the antioxidant probucol was markedly prolonged compared to normal subjects.