Bruckdorfer K Richard
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK.
Proc Nutr Soc. 2008 May;67(2):214-22. doi: 10.1017/S0029665108007052.
The involvement of free radicals and reactive oxygen and nitrogen species in the pathology of inflammatory and degenerative disease has been widely accepted, although the centrality of these species to the outcome of these diseases is still a matter for debate. In the case of CVD, and particularly the development of the atherosclerotic plaque, the oxidation of LDL is of particular importance and appears to explain many of the events that occur during the life history of the plaque. The corollary of this situation is that antioxidants must be a benign force to protect the population from the modern scourge of heart disease. In fact, recent evidence from intervention studies with large doses of the antioxidant vitamins and other antioxidants in foods has been very disappointing. Here, the background for the belief that antioxidants ought to be beneficial is examined and an attempt made to explain why the results of these intervention studies have been unsuccessful. It is agreed that a diet rich in fruit and vegetables is protective for both CVD and cancer, but the explanation for this effect may not necessarily lie with the presence of antioxidants.
自由基以及活性氧和氮物种参与炎症性和退行性疾病的病理过程已被广泛接受，尽管这些物种在这些疾病的转归中所起的核心作用仍存在争议。就心血管疾病而言，尤其是动脉粥样硬化斑块的形成，低密度脂蛋白（LDL）的氧化尤为重要，似乎可以解释斑块生命周期中发生的许多事件。这种情况的必然结果是，抗氧化剂必定是保护人们免受现代心脏病祸害的有益力量。事实上，最近关于大剂量抗氧化剂维生素和食物中其他抗氧化剂的干预研究证据非常令人失望。在此，审视了认为抗氧化剂应该有益的观点的背景，并试图解释这些干预研究结果为何未成功。人们一致认为，富含水果和蔬菜的饮食对心血管疾病和癌症都有保护作用，但这种作用的解释不一定在于抗氧化剂的存在。
