Cholesterol metabolism in human umbilical arterial endothelial cells cultured in low magnesium media
Zhou, Q.; Kummerow, F.A.
Magnesium Research 9(4): 273-280
1996
ISSN/ISBN: 0953-1424 PMID: 9247875 Document Number: 456177
To study the time- and dose-dependent effects of low magnesium on free [H3]cholesterol uptake, [H3]mevalonolactone incorporation into cholesterol, and both of which labelled precursors and [H3]oleic acid incorporations into cholesteryl esters, cultured human umbilical arterial endothelial cells were exposed to experimental media containing decreasing magnesium concentrations at 94, 188, 376 and 564 microM until 48 h. A level of magnesium at 949 microM was used as a control. The results showed that reduced magnesium in the cultured medium led to a decrease in [H3]cholesterol, uptake, an inhibition of the incorporation of [H3]mevalonolactone into cholesterol and a stimulation of the incorporation of [H3]cholesterol, [H3]mevalonolactone and [H3]oleic acid into cholesteryl esters, but the time- and dose-dependent effects of magnesium deficiency were not significant. We suggest that reduced cholesterol uptake and synthesis might contribute to hypercholesterolaemia under a condition of magnesium deficiency, and that enhanced cholesterol esterification might be explained by a stimulated activity of acyl-Coenzyme A: cholesterol O-acyltransferase (ACAT).