Ruolo e significato dei metaboliti ossidati e della Fosfolipasi-A2 lipoproteica nei pazienti a rischio e con patologia aterosclerotica.

At the beginning of the 1990,several authors discovered the formation of prostaglandin F2-like compounds, F2-isoprostanes (F2-IsoPs), in vivo by non-enzymatic free radical–induced peroxidation of arachidonic acid. IsoPs are initially formed esterified to phospholipids and then released in free form. Evidence suggests that common risk factors for atherosclerosis increase the risk of the production of free oxidative radicals (free ROS), not only from the endothelial cells, but also from the smooth muscle cells and the adventitial cells. The production of free oxidative radicals is believed to induce endothelial dysfunction, an initial step of atherogenesis. Oxidative stress leads to oxidation of LDL (ox-LDL), whose uptake by macrophages is easier compared to non-oxidized lipoproteins. F -Isoprostanes are stable lipid peroxidation products of arachidonic acid, the quantification of which provides an index of oxidative stress. We describe a method for analysing 8-iso-PGF2α) in plasma. The method involves solid-phase extraction and evaluation with GC-MS.