Journal of Lipid Research, Vol 22, 1033-1041, Copyright © 1981 by Lipid Research, Inc.
Cholesterol synthesis and esterification in experimental xanthoma tissues
H Kodama, Y Nagao, K Arakawa, J Tada and N Nohara
We studied cholesterol metabolism in experimental xanthoma tissues which
were induced by injection of high molecular weight sodium dextran sulfate
into the dermis of hypercholesterolemic rabbits. Control studies were
performed on dermal specimens of the dextran sulfate- injected site of
normolipemic rabbits. Cholesterol accumulation was much greater in the
hypercholesterolemic rabbit tissues than in the normolipemic rabbit
tissues. Histiocytes and foam cells in such lesions had an ability to
synthesize cholesterol. However, cholesterol synthesis was suppressed in
the cholesterol-rich tissues of hypercholesterolemic rabbits. This
suppression was obviously caused by the accumulation of cholesterol in the
tissues which take up lipoprotein in hypercholesterolemic rabbits. On the
other hand, esterification of cholesterol was greater in the
hypercholesterolemic rabbit tissues than in the normolipemic rabbit
tissues. Cholesterol was esterified more selectively with oleic acid than
with palmitic acid. Therefore, cholesteryl oleate increased in the tissues
concomitantly with the accumulation of cholesteryl esters. Fatty acids of
serum origin rather than those synthesized in situ were more important in
the esterification process. It was suggested that cholesterol
esterification was mediated by acyl-coenzyme A:cholesterol acyltransferase
and that lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase contributed little to the
process.
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