Sterol synthesis in the human arterial intima

Abstract

Intimal sterol synthesis was examined in isolated human arterial segments obtained at surgery or at postmortem examination. The tissues were incubated with acetate-1-(14)C and mevalonate-2-(14)C and the incorporation of these precursors into sterols was determined. Intimal sterols were isolated by multiple chromatographic techniques and purified by bromination and oxidation procedures. The results indicate that the arterial intima can incorporate acetate and mevalonate into cholesterol, cholestanol, and squalene. Cholestanol was the major sterol synthesized by the arterial wall, but cholesterol production was also consistently observed. The findings suggest that local synthesis is a potential source of sterol accumulation within the arterial wall. The conversion of cholesterol to other sterols was also studied in terminally ill patients receiving labeled cholesterol before death. Tissue analyses revealed the presence of labeled cholestanol as well as cholesterol in the tissue 5-104 days after labeled cholesterol administration. The results demonstrate the conversion of cholesterol to cholestanol in man and suggest that the exchange of cholestanol between the blood and tissues is similar to that of cholesterol.