Regional variation in cholesterol synthesis and low density lipoprotein transport in the brain of the fetus, newborn and adult animal

S. D. Turley, J. M. Dietschy

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

13 Scopus citations

Abstract

These studies were designed to characterize the regional differences in cholesterol concentration throughout the brain of the developing sheep and hamster, and to learn more about the origin of this cholesterol by measuring in vivo the rates of cholesterol synthesis and low density lipoprotein-cholesterol clearance by different regions of the central nervous system in these animal models. In both species whole brain cholesterol concentration increased several fold throughout fetal and early neonatal life. There were marked regional differences in cholesterol concentration throughout the brain, with the concentration being greatest in the areas richest in myelin. In both hamsters and sheep the differences in cholesterol concentration between the various regions correlated strongly with the differences in the rate of cholesterol synthesis. In no region of the central nervous system of the fetal and neonatal sheep could significant rates of LDL transport be detected. Together these studies show that cholesterol deposition in the rapidly developing central nervous system of the fetal and neonatal animal does not require the uptake of low density lipoprotein-cholesterol from the plasma, but instead appears to be critically dependent on the de novo synthesis of cholesterol within the brain itself.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)195-201
Number of pages7
JournalNutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases
Volume7
Issue number3
StatePublished - Jun 1997

Keywords

  • Central nervous system
  • Hamster
  • Low density lipoprotein receptor
  • Myelination
  • Sheep

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Medicine (miscellaneous)
  • Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism
  • Nutrition and Dietetics
  • Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine

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