Relative Susceptibilities of Linoleates and Cholesterol to Oxidation Assessed by Total Hydroxyoctadecadienoic Acid and 7-Hydroxycholesterol

Abstract

We have investigated the relative susceptibilities of cholesterol and linoleates to free radical-mediated oxidation in vitro using model compounds to understand the in vivo observation chemically. It was found that linoleates were preferentially oxidized in the plasma, while cholesterol was concomitantly oxidized with linoleates in the erythrocytes. Importantly, the oxidizability depends on the kinds of solvent, implying that the in vivo oxidation may be in part influenced by the milieu where the substrates exist.