Cholesterol plate deposition in a pathological transport environment.

Triglycerides separated from human serum lipoprotein or triolein converted cholesterol needles to plates on equilibration in isotonic saline. Cholesterol needles equilibrated with human clear or lipemic plasma or serum were not converted to plates unless olive oil or triolein was added. Plasma phospholipid permitted and sodium lauryl sulfate (0.1-10%) prevented formation of plates from cholesterol needle-saturated olive oil in water at 38 degrees C. Cholesterol liquid crystals, formed from needles dispersed in aqueous plasma phospholipid, changed to plates on dilution with water. The cholesterol content of lipemic and high-, normal-, or low-cholesterol sera, equilibrated with cholesterol plates at 38 degrees C, was not significantly altered. In rats and mice the mobilization of injected cholesterol needles at the intrathoracic site manifested a sex-species difference. In the pathological deposition of cholesterol plates, a breakdown of a defense mechanism in plasma involving noncovalent binding of triglyceride with phospholipid and protein is indicated.