title: Cholesterol homeostasis in neurons and glial cells.
abstract: Cholesterol is highly enriched in the brain compared to other tissues. Essentially all cholesterol in the brain is synthesized endogenously since plasma lipoproteins are unable to cross the blood-brain barrier. Cholesterol is transported within the central nervous system in the form of apolipoprotein E-containing lipoprotein particles that are secreted mainly by glial cells. Cholesterol is excreted from the brain in the form of 24-hydroxycholesterol. Apolipoprotein E and cholesterol have been implicated in the formation of amyloid plaques in Alzheimer's disease. In addition, the progressive neurodegenerative disorder Niemann-Pick C disease is characterized by defects in intracellular trafficking of cholesterol.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Canadian Institutes for Health Research, Group on the Molecular and Cell Biology of Lipids, 332 Heritage Medical Research Centre, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada T6G 2S2. jean.vance@ualberta.ca
authors.forename: Jean E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Vance
authors.forename: Hideki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Karten
mesh_terms: D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000378:metabolism; D001057:Apolipoproteins E / Q000378:metabolism; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000378:metabolism*; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology; D006706:Homeostasis / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008074:Lipoproteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000378:metabolism*; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D000077296:Niemann-Pick C1 Protein; D009542:Niemann-Pick Diseases / Q000378:metabolism; D033921:Vesicular Transport Proteins
chemical_list: D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D001057:Apolipoproteins E; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D006023:Glycoproteins; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008074:Lipoproteins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; C106881:NPC1 protein, human; C104585:NPC2 protein, human; D000077296:Niemann-Pick C1 Protein; D033921:Vesicular Transport Proteins; D002784:Cholesterol