Measurement of Reverse Cholesterol Transport Pathways in Humans: In Vivo Rates of Free Cholesterol Efflux, Esterification, and Excretion

摘要

Background Reverse cholesterol transport from peripheral tissues is considered the principal atheroprotective mechanism of high-density lipoprotein, but quantifying reverse cholesterol transport in humans in vivo remains a challenge. We describe here a method for measuring flux of cholesterol though 3 primary components of the reverse cholesterol transport pathway in vivo in humans: tissue free cholesterol (FC) efflux, esterification of FC in plasma, and fecal sterol excretion of plasma-derived FC.