Antioxidant activity of thiocholesterol on copper-induced oxidation of low-density lipoprotein.

The effect of thiocholesterol (SH-Chol) on the copper-induced in vitro oxidation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL; 1.019 < d < 1.063) was investigated. Among the antioxidants tested, including cysteine, glutathione, 2-mercaptoethanol, dithiothreitol, probucol, thiopalmitic acid, and SH-Chol, SH-Chol was the most effective antioxidant in copper-induced LDL oxidation. Also, SH-Chol completely inhibited the formation of oxysterols, i.e., 7-hydroxycholesterol and 7-ketocholesterol, in LDL particles and reduced 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl used as stable free-radical model. Moreover, SH-Chol suppressed the degradation of endogenous alpha-tocopherol in LDL particles. These findings indicate that SH-Chol acts as antioxidant in the oxidative damage of LDL in vitro and as a free-radical scavenger in lipid peroxidation.