title: Cholesterol crystallite nucleation in supersaturated model biles from a thermodynamic standpoint.
abstract: A rapid, silicone polymer film uptake method was used to determine the cholesterol (Ch) thermodynamic activity (A(T)) in taurocholate (TC)-lecithin (L) and taurochenodeoxycholate (TCDC)-L model biles supersaturated with Ch. Also, time-dependent quasielastic light scattering (QLS) measurements and microscopic observations were made to determine the nature of particle species and the Ch nucleation times. In all cases in which Ch-L vesicles were present, a linear relationship between the logarithm of Ch nucleation times and Ch A(T) was found. These findings support that Ch A(T) is the appropriate parameter that represents the Ch nucleation tendency and that vesicles are catalytic sites in the Ch nucleation process. When Ca2+, a nucleation promoter ion, was present in the supersaturated model biles, the increased values of Ch A(T) quantitatively correlated with shorter Ch nucleation times. These latter findings further demonstrate that Ch A(T) is the dominant factor in explaining the Ch nucleation tendencies in supersaturated model biles.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biotechnology, National Dong-Hwa University, Shou-Feng, Hualien Hsien 974, Taiwan, ROC. cliu@mail.ndhu.edu.tw
authors.forename: Chen-Lun
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: William I
authors.initials: WI
authors.lastname: Higuchi
mesh_terms: D001646:Bile / Q000737:chemistry*; D002118:Calcium; D002384:Catalysis; D002413:Cations, Divalent; D011232:Chemical Precipitation; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000737:chemistry*; D003460:Crystallization; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines / Q000737:chemistry; D012996:Solutions; D013655:Taurochenodeoxycholic Acid / Q000737:chemistry; D013656:Taurocholic Acid / Q000737:chemistry; D013816:Thermodynamics; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D002413:Cations, Divalent; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines; D012996:Solutions; D013655:Taurochenodeoxycholic Acid; D013656:Taurocholic Acid; D002784:Cholesterol; D002118:Calcium