[Injurious effect of lipid peroxidation on human endothelial cells in vitro]

Lipid peroxidation (LPO) was initiated and facilitated in cultured human endothelial cells (ECs) by treating the cells with diamidel first. The concentration of lipid peroxide in the cells and medium increased with the increase of diamide concentration. Under SEM and TEM, 0.05 x 10(-4) M diamide might induce ultrastructural changes. The prominent changes were contraction, plasma membrane blebbing, and rounding, swelling and dilatation of mitochondria. Vacuolization appeared in cells at 4.0 x 10(-4) M diamide, A decrease of prostacyclin synthesis in these cells accompanied the morphologic changes. The results showed that ECs are sensitive to LPO, suggesting that LPO may play an important role in atherogenesis.