The peroxidation step in lipid transformation is considered to be essential in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Calcium antagonists (CA) appear to have antioxidant effects in addition to their potent vasorelaxant properties. In the present study, we compared the antioxidative efficacy of CA (amlodipine, lacidipine, nifedipine, isradipine, diltiazem, and semotiadil) in the copper-catalysed oxidation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) with that of glycated(g)/glycoxidated(go) LDL. This issue is of great importance when considering the potential therapeutic use of antioxidant drugs in diabetes-associated vasculopathy. Oxidation of native LDL was inhibited most efficiently (>90%) by lacidipine and semotiadil in the concentration range 10(-4)-10(-3) M. We found, however, a dramatic decrease in antioxidant activity towards g/goLDL as compared to native LDL in all the CA tested. Only lacidipine significantly inhibited copper-mediated oxidation of g/goLDL in the whole concentration range tested (10(-5) M-10(-3) M). This probably resulted from the increased auto-oxidative potential introduced by early and advanced glycation end products (AGE) into the g/goLDL. We noted that coincubation of LDL with 10(-3) M CA and 0.5 M glucose under oxidative/non-oxidative conditions partially or fully restored the antioxidant capacity of the different CA to inhibit the subsequent copper-catalysed oxidation of the modified LDL. This is a clear indication that CA inhibit glycative or glycoxidative LDL changes during the preceding long-term glycation period. The notion that both oxidative changes and long-term glycation effects were reduced by CA was corroborated by fluorescence analysis, AGE-ELISA, quantitation of lipid peroxidation, and thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) measurement of long-term g/goLDL. The strongest antioxidative effects during long-term glycation of LDL were seen with isradipine, lacidipine, nifedipine, and semotiadil. Diltiazem was the only CA that could not prevent TBARS formation in LDL during the long-term glycation period. In contrast, Amadori product formation, as measured by the generation of fructosamines, was not significantly reduced by any CA tested. Thus CA, like other antioxidants, significantly retard AGE formation, while initial glycation reactions, such as Amadori product formation, are only weakly inhibited.