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Figure 4 HDL Functions Other Than Reverse Cholesterol Transport

High-density lipoprotein exerts a number of potentially antiatherogenic effects independent of cholesterol efflux and centripetal transport, including inhibiting lipid oxidation, impairing leukocyte adhesion and monocyte activation, promoting nitric oxide (NO) production and flow-induced vasodilation, preventing endothelial cell damage and death, and inhibiting activation of platelets and the coagulation cascade. The clinical significance of these varied functions remains unclear. Figure illustrations by Rob Flewell. Abbreviations as in Figures 1 and 2.