An antioxidant defense system consisting of enzymes and non-enzymatic compounds
prevents oxidative damage of lipoproteins in the plasma. When the activity of this system
decreases or the reactive oxygen species (ROS) production increases, an oxidative stress
may occur. Since fatty acids and triglyceride-rich emulsions can stimulate leukocytes to
produce ROS, it is conceivable that raised plasma triglyceride-rich lipoproteins such as very
low density lipoprotein (VLDL) may overload the antioxidant system. To test this hypothesis …