动脉粥样硬化是多因素引起的,以动脉壁内脂质的沉积甚至粥样斑块的形成为特征的慢性血管炎症性疾病.巨噬细胞内胆固醇的堆积和泡沫细胞的形成是早期动脉粥样硬化形成的标志.然而,泡沫细胞形成的确切机制尚未完全阐明.于此,我们推测氧化型低密度脂蛋白(oxidized low density lipoprotein,ox-LDL),凝集素样氧化型低密度脂蛋白受体1(lectin-like oxidized low density lipoprotein receptor-1,LOX-1)和活性氧(reactive oxygen species,ROS)组成了一个促进泡沫细胞形成的“信号通路”,在泡沫细胞的形成乃至诱导动脉粥样硬化发生中起始动作用.在这一通路中,氧化型低密度脂蛋白,这种经过氧化修饰的低密度脂蛋白,是“激活子”;凝集素样氧化型低密度脂蛋白受体1,作为内皮细胞上的氧化型低密度脂蛋白的主要受体是信号“转导子”;活性氧,这氧化型低密度脂蛋白与凝集素样氧化型低密度脂蛋白受体1结合后的直接产物是“催化子”和“诱导剂”.“,”Atherosclerosis is a multifactorial chronic vascular inflammatory disease characterized by lipid deposition and even lipid plaque formation in the vascular intima. Macrophage cholesterol accumulation and foam cell formation are the hallmarks of early atherogenesis. However, the underlying mechanisms of foam cell formation are not fully elucidated. Herein, we hypothesize that the signaling model composed of the oxidized low density lipoprotein (ox-LDL), the lectin-like oxidized low density lipoprotein receptor-1(LOX-1)and the reactive oxygen species (ROS) plays an important role in foam cell formation. In this model, ox-LDL is the activating factor;LOX-1, the main ox-LDL receptor expressed in endothelial cells, acts as a signal transducer while the ROS, a direct product of ox-LDL binding with LOX-1, is regarded as a catalyst and an inducer.