Cholesteryl ester accumulation in Ehrlich cells induced by saturated fats.

The cholesteryl ester content of Erhlich cells was increased in tumors grown in mice fed saturated fat diets (coconut oil or tristearin) as compared with polyunsaturated fat diet (sunflower oil). Cholesteryl esters containing monoenoic fatty acids were the predominant species that accumulated in the cells grown on unsaturated fat. The increase in cholesteryl esters was not accompanied by corresponding increases in the cell content of phospholipids, triacylglycerols, unesterified cholestorol or proteins. This experimental system may be useful for obtaining basic information about intracelluar cholesteryl ester accumulation, process that occurs in atherosclerosis.