Block copolymers exhibit the phenomenon of microdomain formation in pure states as well as in solutions. The microdomains vest the block copolymer assemblies with the intriguing characteristics of microheterogeneous media. We demonstrate that this microheterogeneity in hydrophobic-hydrophilic block copolymer systems can be exploited for immobilizing enzymes and to carry out enzymatic reactions....

OBJECTIVE Intracellular cholesterol distribution impacts cell function; however, processes influencing endogenous cholesterol trafficking remain largely unknown. Atherosclerosis is associated with vascular inflammation and these studies address the role of inflammatory mediators on smooth muscle cell cholesterol trafficking. METHODS AND RESULTS Interestingly, in the absence of an exogenous ch...

Clinical and experimental evidence indicates that garlic ingestion lowers blood cholesterol levels, and treatment of cells in culture with garlic and garlic-derived compounds inhibits cholesterol synthesis. To identify the principal site of inhibition in the cholesterolgenic pathway and the active components of garlic, cultured hepatoma cells were treated with aqueous garlic extract or its chem...

Cholesterol side chain cleavage has been shown to be dependent on the electron carrier chain involving a cytochrome P-450 reductase system, flavoprotein and nonheme iron-protein of the ferredoxin type, and the oxygen-activating cytochrome P-450. The reaction is markedly inhibited by carbon monoxide. The cytochrome oxidase system inhibits the cleavage reaction by diverting the flow of electrons ...

BACKGROUND Increased vascular oxidative stress induced by hyperlipidemia may alter the phenotype of vascular smooth muscle (SM) cells and play a crucial role in the progression of atherosclerosis. To clarify the mechanisms underlying vascular dysfunction and oxidative stress in hypercholesterolemia, we compared the effects of antioxidant probucol with those of pravastatin on aortic stiffness, p...

Cytochrome c oxidase has been found to be localized in a lipoprotein matrix in the mitochondrial membrane (l), which is undoubtedly responsible for the particulate nature of this enzyme when isolated from the tissue. Marinetti, Scaramuzzino, and Stotz (2) found that a purified cytochrome oxidase preparation contained 33% lipid which consisted of neutral fat, cholesterol, and phospholipids. The ...

To investigate the efficacy of the intake of vinegar for prevention of hyperlipidaemia, we examined the effect of dietary acetic acid, the main component of vinegar, on serum lipid values in rats fed a diet containing 1 % (w/w) cholesterol. Animals were allowed free access to a diet containing no cholesterol, a diet containing 1 % cholesterol without acetic acid, or a diet containing 1 % choles...

Dear Editor, Ascorbic acid interferes with certain clinical chemistry assays based on peroxidase and redox indicators [1]. Ascorbic acid is reported to interfere with the measurement of glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides, and uric acid [2-5]. We recently encountered several cases of interference from ascorbic acid in serum total cholesterol assays based on colorimetric enzymatic reaction...