Lipid Peroxidation Products in Human Health and Disease

Enhanced formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) leads to tissue dysfunction and damage in a number of pathological conditions. ROS oxidize the lipids to generate peroxides and aldehydes. These lipid peroxidation products, especially oxidized lipids-derived aldehydes, are much more stable than the parent ROS and therefore can diffuse from their site of generation and inflict damage at remote locations. Therefore, products of lipid oxidation can extend and propagate the responses and injury initiated by ROS. The lipid peroxidation (LPO) products are highly reactive and display marked biological effects, which, depending upon their concentration, cause selective alterations in cell signaling, protein and DNA damage, and cytotoxicity. Increased formation of lipid peroxides and aldehydes has been observed in atherosclerosis, ischemia-reperfusion, heart failure, Alzheimer's disease, rheumatic arthritis, cancer, and other immunological disorders. Therefore, decreasing the formation of lipid peroxidation products or scavenging them chemically could be beneficial in limiting the deleterious effects of ROS in various pathological conditions. Indeed, recent studies have identified several agents that could interfere with the LPO-mediated cell signaling pathways and could act as potential therapeutic drugs.