Degradation of cholesterol crystals in phospholipids

Eugen Koren M.D.; Mirna Koscec; Robert D. Fugate

doi:10.1117/12.60751

1 February 1993 Degradation of cholesterol crystals in phospholipids

Eugen Koren M.D., Mirna Koscec, Robert D. Fugate

Author Affiliations +

Optical Engineering, Vol. 32, Issue 2, (February 1993). https://doi.org/10.1117/12.60751

Abstract

Based on previous studies from this laboratory that demonstrated degradation of cholesterol crystals ingested by macrophages in a cell culture system and indicated that intracellular phospholipids could play an important role in mobilization of crystalline cholesterol, the role of each of the three major intracellular phospholipid species in degradation of crystals is further explored. Fluorescently labeled cholesterol crystals are incubated with phospholipids over a period of 5 d. Morphological changes in crystals are monitored using digital imaging fluorescence microscopy, fluorescence redistribution after photobleaching, confocal microscopy, and epifluorescent and phase contrast microscopy. Results clearly demonstrate that all three phospholipids are able to mobilize crystalline cholesterol. However, the mechanisms by which they exert mobilization are different. Sphingomyelin and phosphatidylcholine are found to cause gradual and uniform dissolution of crystals, more or less preserving their original shape. Phosphatidylethanolamine appear to penetrate into the crystal, causing its fragmentation and solubilization. In the mixture of all three phospholipids representing the composition found in macrophages, both of the described mechanisms are working simultaneously.

Citation Download Citation

Eugen Koren M.D., Mirna Koscec, and Robert D. Fugate "Degradation of cholesterol crystals in phospholipids," Optical Engineering 32(2), (1 February 1993). https://doi.org/10.1117/12.60751

Published: 1 February 1993

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