淋巴管参与胆固醇逆向转运

细胞需要胆固醇才能生存,但过量的胆固醇对细胞具有毒性,因此细胞需要调节胆固醇的稳态。细胞内胆固醇被转运到高密度脂蛋白载脂蛋白AI,会以胆固醇逆向转运的方式返回肝脏代谢。胆固醇逆向转运不仅是维持细胞胆固醇稳态所需的生理过程,而且对动脉粥样硬化发展起到潜在的抑制作用。目前的研究主要集中在细胞胆固醇流出的最初途径和最终代谢上,但关于胆固醇是如何离开血液却知之甚少。越来越多的研究表明,在胆固醇逆向转运过程中高密度脂蛋白需要通过淋巴管转运以返回到肝脏代谢。因此,研究高密度脂蛋白从血液流入外周组织的过程,以及它是怎样通过淋巴管转运对治疗动脉粥样硬化具有重要意义。本综述主要介绍淋巴管与胆固醇逆向转运之间的联系,为治疗动脉粥样硬化性心血管疾病提供新的策略。

Lymphatic vessels: involvement of reverse cholesterol transport

Cells need cholesterol to survive, but excess cholesterol is toxic to cells, so cells need to regulate cholesterol homeostasis. Intracellular cholesterol is transported to the high density lipoprotein-apolipoprotein AI, which returns to the liver in reverse cholesterol transport (RCT) route, and ultimately excretes through feces. RCT is not only a physiological process necessary to maintain cellular cholesterol homeostasis, but also has potential atherosclerosis inhibition. Current studies have mainly focused on the initial pathway of cellular cholesterol efflux and the final metabolism of cholesterol in the blood, but little is known about how cholesterol can leave the blood. More and more studies have shown that HDL needs to be transported through lymphatic vessels during RCT to return to liver in which cholesterol is metabolized. Therefore, it is important to better understand the process of HDL flowing from blood to peripheral tissue, to change and promote the removal of intracellular cholesterol in the tissue space and how it is transported through lymphatic vessels. This review focuses on the relationship between lymphatic vessels and RCT, which provides a new strategy for the treatment of atherosclerotic vascular diseases.