It is shown that formation of the 7,8-double bond in the conversion of cholesterol into cholesta-5,7,22-trien-3beta-ol involves the removal of the 7beta- and 8beta-hydrogen atoms.

OBJECTIVE HIV-1 particles are enriched with cholesterol; however, the significance of this cholesterol enrichment is unknown. This study examines the structural and functional roles of cholesterol in HIV-1 replication. METHODS Using methyl-beta-cyclodextrin (CD) to remove cholesterol from the HIV-1 envelope, buoyant density and infectivity of the cholesterol-deficient HIV-1 particles were com...

Both testosterone (T) and progesterone (P) facilitate the expression of male-typical sexual behavior in a variety of animals, including rodents and lizards. In two species of whiptail lizards, Cnemidophorus inornatus and C. uniparens, both hormones elicit the full repertoire of courtship behavior. However, the relative efficacy of the two hormones is unknown. In Experiments 1 and 2 we assessed ...

Cytochrome P450 46A1 (CYP46A1) converts cholesterol to 24-hydroxycholesterol and thereby controls the major pathways of cholesterol removal from the brain. Cyp46a1-/- mice have a reduction in the rate of cholesterol biosynthesis in the brain and significant impairments to memory and learning. To gain insights into the mechanisms underlying Cyp46a1-/- phenotype, we used Cyp46a1-/- mice and quant...

Cholesterol esterase of pancreatic juice origin and acyl coenzyme A:cholesterol acyltransferase, both associated with the intestinal mucosa, are implicated in the extensive esterification of exogenous cholesterol during absorption. To assess the role of each enzyme, [4-14C]cholesterol absorption into mesenteric lymph of rats with normal mucosal levels of both esterification enzymes was compared...

A new model to study cholesterol uptake in the human intestine in vitro is described. Human small intestine organ cultures were incubated with mixed micelles containing bile acid, phospholipid, and cholesterol or its nonabsorbable analogue, sitosterol; trace amounts of labeled cholesterol or sitosterol were added to the micelles. After incubation, the lipids were extracted from the cells and ch...

To investigate the effects of chronic ethanol administration on the mobilization and excretion of cholesterol, turnover and balance studies were carried out in baboons pair-fed cholesterol-free diets containing 50% of energy either as ethanol or as additional carbohydrate for several years. Ethanol feeding increased free cholesterol in all plasma lipoprotein fractions, and esterified cholestero...

The enzyme lecithin:cholesterol acyl transferase has been measured both in total plasma and in the fraction of plasma from which very low and low density lipoproteins have been removed by ultracentrifugation. The correlation between the activity of the enzyme and the free cholesterol concentration was positive in whole plasma and negative in apoB-deficient plasma. On the other hand, the positiv...

Cholesterol excess is typical of various diseases including atherosclerosis. We have investigated whether cholesterol accumulation in the ER (endoplasmic reticulum) can inhibit exit of vesicular cargo and secretion of proteins by studying apoE (apolipoprotein E), a significant glycoprotein in human health and disease. CHO (Chinese hamster ovary) cells expressing human apoE under a cholesterol-i...