BIOCHEMICAL ARCHIVES, cilt.15, sa.2, ss.145-150, 1999 (SCI-Expanded)
The effects of starvation and cold-restraint stress on lipid peroxidation, lipid levels and on susceptibility of VLDL+LDL fractions to autooxidation were investigated in the plasma of rats. The content of protein carbonyl groups was also measured after starvation and cold-restraint stress. The susceptibility of VLDL+LDL to autooxidation, the content of protein carbonyl groups, total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol levels remained unchanged but triglyceride and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) levels were found increased after 48 h of starvation. There were significant increases in the susceptibility of VLDL+LDL to autooxidation and TEARS levels in cold-restraint stress group when compared with values obtained from starvation group. In addition, cold-restraint stress elevated total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and reduced HDL-cholesterol but did not change triglyceride levels as compared with starvation group. Our results suggest that stress inducing lipid peroxidation may contribute to the initiation and/or progression of atherosclerosis.