title: Cholesterol content of red blood cells and low-density lipoproteins in hypertriglyceridemia.
abstract: The red blood cells and the low-density lipoproteins in hypertriglyceridemia have a lower ratio of unesterified cholesterol to phospholipid than normal. The low-density lipoproteins are also smaller and more dense in hypertriglyceridemia, and contain only 45% of the normal unesterified cholesterol mass. The phase behavior of the lipids shows that normal red cells and low-density lipoproteins are close to saturation with cholesterol, whereas in hypertriglyceridemia less cholesterol is present. Because newly secreted triacylglycerol-rich lipoproteins are poor in cholesterol, their excess production and transport in hypertriglyceridemia may prevent maintenance of the normal cholesterol content of blood cells and low-density lipoproteins. Partitioning of cholesterol into triacylglycerol-rich lipoproteins is able to account for significant fluxes of unesterified cholesterol in the plasma compartment.
mesh_terms: D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood*; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D006953:Hyperlipoproteinemia Type IV / Q000097:blood*; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL / Q000097:blood*; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL; D010743:Phospholipids; D002784:Cholesterol