查看文章

The objective of the study was to analyze the intracellular antioxidative response of macrophages (MΦ) exposed to increased levels of low density lipoprotein (LDL). We studied manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) and, in part, GSH in cultured human and rabbit MΦ, and in atheromatous arterial tissue of humans and heritable hyperlipidemic (HHL) rabbits. Incubation of human MΦ with oxidized‐LDL (ox‐LDL) resulted in an induction of MnSOD mRNA production as shown by RT‐PCR. MnSOD immunoreactivity (IR) was found to be located in the mitochondria of MΦ. In HHL rabbits, MnSOD activity and GSH concentration were significantly increased in atherosclerotic intima compared to the media of the aorta, but significantly decreased (P<0.01) in larger plaques compared with smaller ones, resulting in a significant inverse correlation of MnSOD activity (r=–0.67, P<0.001) and GSH concentration (r=–0.57, P …