Oxidation processes in membranes accompany various pathological conditions in or-
ganisms, nevertheless the influence of oxidation on the membrane structure is still
poorly understood. Here we monitored the time evolution of a massively oxidized
dioleoylphosphatidylcholine membrane in molecular dynamics simulations. Oxida-
tion destabilized the membrane and, depending on its extent and type, in some
cases even destroyed its structure. Creation of stable pores was observed as a direct
consequence of oxidation and we describe here the molecular mechanisms of their
formation.