title: A lack of esterification of lanosterol and other methyl sterols in human serum in vitro.
abstract: Human serum contains small amounts of free and esterified cholesterol precursors, such as lanosterol and other methyl sterols. Incubating the serum for 24 h at room temperature without and with different additions of free methyl sterols was not followed by any detectable esterification of these sterols during the subsequent 24 h incubation period, though the amount of cholesterol esters was markedly increased. [3H]dihydrolanosterol added to serum was not esterified in any lipoprotein fraction either, whereas the [14C]cholesterol added was found to be esterified during the 24 h incubation period. The lack of methyl sterol esterification in vitro suggests that these sterols are not proper substrates for serum lecithin: cholesterol acyltransferase and that esterified serum methyl sterols originate from tissues.
mesh_terms: D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D002788:Cholesterol Esters / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D004951:Esterification; D006801:Humans; D007810:Lanosterol / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D002788:Cholesterol Esters; D007810:Lanosterol; D002784:Cholesterol