There is evidence that some products o
f the reaction o
f ozone with cholesterol contribute toatherosclerosis. One o
f these compounds is 3
fchars/beta2.gi
f" BORDER=0 ALIGN="middle">-hydroxy-5-oxo-5,6-secocholestan-6-al. We have synthesizedthis compound and have demonstrated that it reacts with phosphatidylethanolamine to
form a Schi
ff base.The 3
fchars/beta2.gi
f" BORDER=0 ALIGN="middle">-hydroxy-5-oxo-5,6-secocholestan-6-al also a
ffects the physical properties o
f phosphatidylethanolamines. We show by both DSC and X-ray di
ffraction that it increases the negative curvature o
f themembrane. In addition, 3
fchars/beta2.gi
f" BORDER=0 ALIGN="middle">-hydroxy-5-oxo-5,6-secocholestan-6-al causes the lamellar phase to becomedisorganized, resulting in the loss o
f lamellar periodicity. The chemical and physical interactions o
f 3
fchars/beta2.gi
f" BORDER=0 ALIGN="middle">-hydroxy-5-oxo-5,6-secocholestan-6-al with phosphatidylethanolamines may contribute to damaging e
ffectso
f this lipid on cell membranes, resulting in pathology.