title: Influence of cholesterol and β-sitosterol on the structure of EYPC bilayers.
abstract: The influence of cholesterol and β-sitosterol on egg yolk phosphatidylcholine (EYPC) bilayers is compared. Different interactions of these sterols with EYPC bilayers were observed using X-ray diffraction. Cholesterol was miscible with EYPC in the studied concentration range (0-50 mol%), but crystallization of β-sitosterol in EYPC bilayers was observed at X ≥ 41 mol% as detected by X-ray diffraction. Moreover, the repeat distance (d) of the lamellar phase was similar upon addition of the two sterols up to mole fraction 17%, while for X ≥ 17 mol% it became higher in the presence of β-sitosterol compared to cholesterol. SANS data on suspensions of unilamellar vesicles showed that both cholesterol and β-sitosterol similarly increase the EYPC bilayer thickness. Cholesterol in amounts above 33 mol% decreased the interlamellar water layer thickness, probably due to "stiffening" of the bilayer. This effect was not manifested by β-sitosterol, in particular due to the lower solubility of β-sitosterol in EYPC bilayers. Applying the formalism of partial molecular areas, it is shown that the condensing effect of both sterols on the EYPC area at the lipid-water interface is small, if any. The parameters of ESR spectra of spin labels localized in different regions of the EYPC bilayer did not reveal any differences between the effects of cholesterol and β-sitosterol in the range of full miscibility.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Chemistry of Drugs, Faculty of Pharmacy, Comenius University, Odbojárov 10, 832 32 Bratislava, Slovakia. gallova@fpharm.uniba.sk
authors.forename: Jana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gallová
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Uhríková
authors.forename: Norbert
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kučerka
authors.forename: Miroslava
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Svorková
authors.forename: Sergio S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Funari
authors.forename: Tatiana N
authors.initials: TN
authors.lastname: Murugova
authors.forename: László
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Almásy
authors.forename: Milan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mazúr
authors.forename: Pavol
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Balgavý
mesh_terms: D002784:Cholesterol / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D004530:Egg Yolk / Q000737:chemistry*; D008051:Lipid Bilayers / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D008081:Liposomes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D012855:Sitosterols / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D008051:Lipid Bilayers; D008081:Liposomes; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines; D012855:Sitosterols; D002784:Cholesterol