Influence of the glucose tolerance test on pro-atherogenic modification of LDL and its relation to paraoxonase activity

Background: Diabetes is associated with increased oxidation and glycation of LDL, modifications which increase its atherogenicity. Serum paraoxonase 1 (PON1) activity is decreased in diabetes and this may contribute to the greater susceptibility of LDL to oxidation and glycation. Whereas it is known that in vitro LDL undergoes both oxidation and glycation and PON1 activity decreases slowly on incubation with glucose, nothing is known about how rapidly excursions of blood glucose affect these parameters in vivo.