Lipid Metabolism in Cultured Cells. II. Cholesterol Uptake from Serum of Normal and Atherosclerotic Human Adults.

Abstract

The cholesterol content of cells grown on serum samples takenfrom normal and atherosclerotic humans and rabbits was determined. Cells grown on atherosclerotic sera had significantly higher cholesterol levels than those grown on normal sera. In the group of normal human sera there was significant correlation between (a) age of the donor and cholesterol content of cells, (b) serum cholesterol level and cholesterol content of cells and (c) age of the donor and serum cholesterol level. In the atherosderotic human sera there was significant correlation between serum and cell cholesterol but none with age of the donor. It appears from these results that in an older group of human atherosclerotics at least, there is no evidence that the higher cholesterol content of cells grown on the serum is due to factors other than the increase in serum cholesterol which occurs with aging.