The metabolism of cholesterol by cytochrome P450 side chain cleavage enzyme is hormonally regulated in steroidogenic tissues via intramitochondrial cholesterol transport. The mediating steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) is synthesized as a 37-kDa (p37) precursor that is phosphorylated by protein kinase A and cleaved within the mitochondria to generate 30-kDa forms (p30, pp30). The ef...

Micron-sized particles of cholesterol-imprinted polymers were synthesized by seeded suspension polymerization in a mixture of 2-propanol and water using polystyrene microbeads as the seeds. Methacrylic acid was employed as the functional monomer to form complexes with template (cholesterol), along with ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as the crosslinker. After removal of template molecules, the c...

Reduction of the lipid burden of atherosclerotic lesion-associated macrophage foam cells is a logical strategy to reduce the plaque volume. Since extracellular cholesterol acceptor-mediated cholesterol efflux is the only recognized mechanism of cholesterol removal from foam cells and this process is rate limited at the level of intracellular cholesterol ester hydrolysis, a reaction catalyzed by...

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the probiotic properties of Enterococcus strains isolated from traditional naturally fermented cream in China. Four Enterococcus isolates showed high cholesterol removal ability in media were identified as Enterococcus durans (KLDS 6.0930 and 6.0933) and Enterococcus faecalis (KLDS 6.0934 and 6.0935) by 16S rRNA and pheS gene sequences, respectively, an...

MRP1 (multidrug-resistance-related protein 1)/ABCC1 (ATP-binding cassette transporter C1) has been localized in cholesterol-enriched lipid rafts, which suggests a role for these lipid rafts and/or cholesterol in MRP1 function. In the present study, we have shown for the first time that nearly complete oxidation of free cholesterol in the plasma membrane of BHK-MRP1 (MRP1-expressing baby hamster...

Several neurodegenerative diseases are linked to defects in brain cholesterol metabolism. The brain comprises only ~6% of total body weight but contains 25% of cholesterol in the body. Unlike phospholipids, which are synthesized in both cell bodies and axons of neurons, cholesterol synthesis is restricted to cell bodies. Thus, efficient mechanisms exist for delivery of cholesterol to axons for ...

Elevated blood cholesterol is an important risk factor associated with atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease. Several studies have reported a decrease in serum cholesterol during the consumption of large doses of fermented dairy products or lactobacillus strains. The proposed mechanism for this effect is the removal or assimilation of intestinal cholesterol by the bacteria, reducing choles...

It is becoming increasingly accepted that removal of cellular cholesterol occurs by at least two pathways, one involving the well-described aqueous diffusion mechanism and another promoted by lipid-free apolipoproteins. We compared the contribution of apolipoprotein-dependent and -independent pathways, taking into consideration the influence of cellular metabolism, on cholesterol efflux promote...

conclusions synbiotic supplementation may improve lipid profile and body composition in patients with nafld and might be useful in prevention of the disease progression. methods eighty patients with nafld participated in this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial (from march to july 2014) in iran. based on ast and alt as main variables of the study, 34 patients were requir...