title: Decreased densities of intramembranous particles and cytochemically detectable cholesterol in microvilli of starved rat enterocytes.
abstract: The densities of intramembranous particles (IMPs) and of sterol complexes induced by treatment of filipin were studied by freeze-fracture replication of intact intestine and/or isolated brush border membranes (BBM) of well-fed and starved rats. The density of IMPs and filipin-sterol complexes (FSCs) decrease considerably during starvation. Biochemical estimations show a decrease in the levels of cholesterol and proteins with respect to phospholipids during starvation which is in agreement with morphological findings. It is suggested that these changes may play a role in regulating membrane fluidity which in turn affects absorption of nutrients through BBM.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, India.
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Waheed
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Toyama
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Yasuzumi
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Gupta
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000378:metabolism*; D005614:Freeze Fracturing; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008871:Microvilli / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012016:Reference Values; D013217:Starvation / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D013997:Time Factors