Several studies indicate that cholesterol esterification is deregulated in cancers. The present study aimed to characterize the role of cholesterol esterification in proliferation and invasion of two tumor cells expressing an activated cholecystokinin 2 receptor (CCK2R). A significant increase in cholesterol esterification and activity of Acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT) was measured...

This report describes a purification procedure for a cholesteryl ester hydrolase (CEH) from female rat liver microsomes, and some structural, immunological, kinetic, and regulatory properties of the enzyme that distinguish the microsomal CEH from other hepatic cholesteryl ester-splitting enzymes. CEH was purified 12.4-fold from reisolated microsomes using sequential solubilization by sonication...

We investigated high density lipoprotein (HDL) subfractions in abetalipoproteinemia (ABL) using rate zonal ultracentrifugation. In ABL, HDL2 is the major subfraction, 65% of total mass compared to less than 10% in normal subjects with similar HDL levels. HDL2 and HDL3 in ABL (n = 3) are larger and lighter than in normals (n = 3), with mean diameters of 136 +/- 19 A and 100 +/- 12 A, respectivel...

OBJECTIVES Our aim was to characterize cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) activity in the early phase of acute myocardial infarction (MI). BACKGROUND Cholesteryl ester transfer protein catalyzes the transfer of cholesteryl esters from high-density lipoprotein (HDL) donors to apolipoprotein B-containing lipoprotein acceptors. METHODS The CETP concentration, lipid profiles, and the rat...

A possible mechanism for the formation of smooth muscle foam cells in the atherosclerotic lesion was explored. Cultured macrophages (J774 cell line) were induced to form cytoplasmic cholesteryl ester inclusions by exposure to acetylated low density lipoprotein in the presence of cholesterol-rich phospholipid dispersions. The macrophages were disrupted by brief sonication, and the inclusions wer...

Rabbits fed low-fat, cholesterol-free diets containing casein as the sole protein source develop endogenous hypercholesterolemia (EH). To test the hypothesis that lipoprotein cholesteryl esters in EH rabbits are acyl coenzyme A:cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT) derived, we treated EH rabbits with CI-976, a potent and selective ACAT inhibitor. In addition, since cholesterol and bile acid synthe...

Spheroidal high-density lipoprotein (HDL) particles circulating in the blood are formed through an enzymatic process activated by apoA-I, leading to the esterification of cholesterol, which creates a hydrophobic core of cholesteryl ester molecules in the middle of the discoidal phospholipid bilayer. In this study, we investigated the conformation of apoA-I in model spheroidal HDL (ms-HDL) parti...

The intravascular metabolism of the cholesteryl ester moiety of rat plasma LDL, HDL1, and HDL2 was determined in intact male rats. Biosynthetically labeled lipoproteins were prepared by zonal ultracentrifugation from the plasma of rats injected with [3H]cholesterol. The lipoproteins were concentrated by vacuum ultrafiltration as other procedures were found to alter the biological properties of ...

The plasma lipid transfer proteins mediate the transfer and exchange of phospholipids and neutral lipids between the plasma lipoproteins. The cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) and the phospholipid transfer protein (PLTP) are members of the lipid transfer/lipopolysaccharide binding gene family. The CETP contains binding sites for cholesteryl ester and triglycerides and probably acts by a...

Subnormal plasma levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) constitute a major cardiovascular risk factor; raising low HDL-C levels may therefore reduce the residual cardiovascular risk that frequently presents in dyslipidaemic subjects despite statin therapy. Cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP), a key modulator not only of the intravascular metabolism of HDL and apolipoprotei...