title: Separation of and cholesterol synthesis by human lymphocytes and monocytes.
abstract: We have devised techniques for the isolation of human monocytes which do not require the adherence of the cells to a surface. In 15 consecutive experiments using density-gradient and counterflow centrifugations, a population of mononuclear cells that was 75 +/- 11% monocytes was obtained within 2 hours of venipuncture. These cells had never been pelleted and represented approximately three-fourths of the monocytes that had been present in the whole blood. In another 22 consecutive experiments using sedimentation in gelatin followed by counterflow and density-gradient centrifugations, a population of lymphocytes that was 99.5 +/- 0.5% pure and a population of monocytes that was 94 +/- 3% pure were obtained within 3 hours of venipuncture. When these freshly isolated cells were incubated in the lipoprotein-deficient fraction of serum (d > 1.21 g/ml) or in solvent-extracted serum, the monocytes incorporated 10-20 times more [2-(14)C]acetate into sterols than did the lymphocytes. Monocytes were seen to constitute between 6 and 46% of the mononuclear cells isolated from normal individuals by the usual density-gradient centrifugation of whole blood on Ficoll-Hypaque. We conclude that future studies of cholesterol metabolism utilizing human mononuclear cells must take into account this large variation in the percentage of monocytes and their disproportionately greater activity during short-term incubations in media that induce sterol synthesis.-Fogelman, A. M., J. Seager, M. Hokom, and P. A. Edwards. Separation of and cholesterol synthesis by human lymphocytes and monocytes.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002469:Cell Separation; D002470:Cell Survival; D002498:Centrifugation; D002499:Centrifugation, Density Gradient; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000097:blood; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000166:cytology; D008074:Lipoproteins / Q000097:blood; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D009000:Monocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D008074:Lipoproteins; D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol