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Cholesterol as an Immunomodulator

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Nutrition and Immunology

Part of the book series: Human Nutrition ((HUNU))

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Abstract

Cholesterol is a relatively small (molecular weight 387) hydrocarbon molecule that is ubiquitous in mammalian cells. There is about 150 g of cholesterol in the body, most of which serves structural purposes in the lipid bilayers that comprise cellular membranes; about two-thirds of the cholesterol is in nervous, muscle, and connective tissues. Almost all tissues of the body have the capability of synthesizing cholesterol but generally do not because their needs are met by the circulating sterol. Only about 8 g can be found circulating in the plasma. Because of cholesterol’s statistical association with coronary heart disease, plasma cholesterol has been studied exhaustively as a factor in the genesis of atherosclerosis but has also been examined in relation to a variety of other conditions including cancer and immunologic responses. The importance of cholesterol in biological membranes derives from its ability to affect the fluidity via its interaction with phospholipids. This interaction controls membrane permeability, membrane electrical activity, and membrane metabolic activity and expression of glycoprotein receptors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nutrition and Food Science, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, 48202, USA

    David M. Klurfeld

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  1. David M. Klurfeld
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  1. Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA

    David M. Klurfeld

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© 1993 Springer Science+Business Media New York

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Klurfeld, D.M. (1993). Cholesterol as an Immunomodulator. In: Klurfeld, D.M. (eds) Nutrition and Immunology. Human Nutrition. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-2900-2_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-2900-2_4

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-6257-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4615-2900-2

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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