Recent development of analytical methods for lipid hydroperoxides and preparation of highly pure lipid hydroperoxides have revealed the important new pathophysiological roles of oxidized phospholipids. Generation of reactive oxygen species and subsequent oxidative stress leads to random oxidation of membrane phospholipids. However, recent studies have reported that anionic phospholipid molecules such as phosphatidylserine (PS) and cardiolipin are preferentially oxidized during apoptosis, resulting in efficient apoptosis execution and apoptotic cell clearance by phagocytes. This review is exclusively focused on selective production of oxidized PS (oxPS) during apoptosis as well as the novel roles of oxPS under pathophysiological conditions.
Keywords: anti-inflammatory; apoptosis; arteriosclerosis; lipid peroxidation; phosphatidylserine.