Iron metabolism, oxidative DNA damage and atherosclerosis

Abstract

There are numerous data which pointed out that iron overload may promote development of atherosclerosis. Our recently obtained results suggest a mechanism that may directly link iron overload with atherosclerosis. Specifically, iron overload may favour the persistence of harmful labile (free) iron pool (LIP), which may catalyse generation of the potentially carcinogenic 8-oxodeoxyguanosine (8-oxodG) moiety in the cellular DNA as well as may be responsible for LDL oxidation.