Oxidized low‐density lipoprotein induces the production of superoxide by neutrophils

Abstract

Exposure of guinea pig peritoneal neutrophils to ox‐LDL led to the production of superoxide, which was measured by the formation of superoxide‐dependent chemiluminescence. The cells exposed to unoxidized LDL, e.g. native LDL, acetyl‐LDL, and self‐aggregates of LDL showed no production of superoxide. The superoxide production was correlated with the levels of oxidative modification of LDL and reached a maximum between 10 and 30 min during incubation, but preincubating the cells with cytochalasin B decreased the superoxide production. These findings indicate that neutrophils rapidly take up ox‐LDL by phagocytosis and generate superoxide which may cause superoxide‐mediated lipid peroxidation in vivo.