High-Density Lipoproteins Protect Macrophage-Like Cells from Apoptosis Caused by Oxidized Low-Density Lipoproteins and TNF-α

Apoptosis of various cells, primarily macrophages, in atherosclerotic arterial lesions is considered to be an important element in the pathogenesis of this disease. It is assumed that one of the main inducers of cell death in the intima of the affected arteries are oxidized low-density lipoproteins (oxLDLs). In this work, we studied the influence of high-density lipoproteins (HDLs), oxLDLs, and the TNF-α factor in different concentrations on macrophage-like cells obtained from mononuclear cells from the peripheral blood of healthy donors. It has been established that oxLDLs in small concentrations can cause the death of human macrophage-like cells after a short-term effect, which indicates their high cytotoxicity. HDLs in physiological concentrations completely block the processes of apoptosis caused by oxLDLs. It has been shown that HDLs are capable not only of protecting cells from oxLDLs, but also of significantly reducing the number of dead cells when exposed to TNF-α. The results obtained suggest that HDLs are capable of protecting cells from a wide range of cytotoxic agents.