Hypocholesterolaemia and non-cardiovascular disease: Metabolic studies on subjects with low plasma cholesterol concentrations
1983
Marenah, C.B. | Lewis, B. | Hassall, D. | La Ville, A. | Cortese, C. | Mitchell, W.D. | Bruckdorfer, K.R. | Slavin, B. | Miller, N.E. | Turner, P.R. | Heduan, E.
Two possible hypotheses that might explain epidemiologic suggestions of an inverse relationship between serum cholesterol (C) levels and cancer mortality were tested. The potentially deleterious effects of hypocholesterolemia on cell membranes were examined by measuring the lipid content and fluidity (F) of blood mononuclear cells (MC) in 150 healthy male adult volunteers having a wide range of serum cholesterol (124-387 mg/100 ml). It was determined that F, the free C content, and ratio of C to phospholipid were unrelated to serum C and to low density lipoprotein C levels. Similar measurements made on fibroblasts and MC, incubated with a range of low density lipoprotein, showed that F was only altered at extremely low concentrations, indicating that cell membrane changes are unlikely to occur at serum C levels attainable by dietary or drug therapy of hyperlipidemia. Direct relations were confirmed between low density lipoprotein levels and retinol and beta-carotene plasma levels. These results are campatible with the suggestion that an association between low C levels and cancer may be secondary to one between low retinoid levels and cancer. (wz)
Show more [+] Less [-]AGROVOC Keywords
Bibliographic information
This bibliographic record has been provided by National Agricultural Library