The Age-Related Rise of Plasma Cholesterol in Humans Is Not Caused by a Cell Removal Defect of LDL Particles: ‘In vitro’ Studies in Peripheral Mononuclear Blood Cells

• Published in: Gerontology (Basel) Vol. 43; no. 4; pp. 232 - 241
• Main Authors: Neves, Monica Q.T.S., Carvalho, Márcia D.T., Passarelli, Marisa, Nakandakare, Edna R., Bernik, Márcia M.M.S., Quintão, Eder C.R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel, Switzerland Karger 1997; S. Karger AG
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aging - physiology; Apolipoproteins B - blood; Apolipoproteins B - metabolism; Biological and medical sciences; Carbon Radioisotopes; Cholesterol - blood; Cholesterol, LDL - blood; Cholesterol, LDL - genetics; Clinical Section; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gene Expression; Humans; In Vitro Techniques; Leukocytes, Mononuclear - metabolism; Lipids. Glycolipids; Male; Metabolisms and neurohumoral controls; Middle Aged; Receptors, LDL - genetics; Receptors, LDL - physiology; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; Aging; Low-density lipoprotein metabolism; Low-density lipoprotein receptors; Cholesterol synthesis; Mononuclear cells; Cholesterol; Human; Lipoprotein LDL; Blood cell; Senescence; Mononuclear cell; Lipids; Metabolism; In vitro
• ISSN: 0304-324X; 1423-0003
• DOI: 10.1159/000213855

In healthy subjects with a normal body mass index, total plasma cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and apoB lipoprotein levels are higher in older individuals (n = 34) than in younger subjects (n = 43). The two groups studied ranged in age from 60 to 93 years and from 17 to 30 years, respectively. The cholesterol synthesis rates of peripheral mononuclear blood cells from 14 C-acetate, total and unesterified cholesterol concentrations in freshly isolated cells, and the rates of uptake of pooled donor LDL, labeled with 125 I- or 14 C-cholesteryl oleoyl ether, by cells derepressed in a lipoprotein-free medium were similar in both experimental groups. Thus, the rise of LDL cholesterol with age would seem to be likely secondary to the higher rate of very-low-density lipoprotein production, as shown by other investigators.