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Mechanisms of Formation of Oxysterols: A General Survey

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Free Radicals, Lipoproteins, and Membrane Lipids

Part of the book series: NATO ASI Series ((NSSA,volume 189))

Abstract

Oxysterols, the simple oxidation products of the common sterols of biological membranes and tissues, are of current interest for their crucial role in the biosynthesis of other steroids and for their divers biological activities with implications of relevance to human health.l-4 On the one hand oxysterols include derivatives of cholesterol (cholest-5-en-3B-ol, 1)

formed in the initial regulated enzymic steps directed to biosyntheses of bile acids and steroid hormones required for metabolism in mammals and are thus necessarily present in mammalian tissues. By contrast, oxysterols exhibit toxic manifestations in intact animals and in tissue and cultured cell bioassay systems and have been suggested as being agents that cause or exacerbate human chronic health disorders such as atherosclerosis and cancer. Also, oxysterols have been spectulatively implicated in the regulation of de novo sterol biosynthesis and metabolism. Each of these topics is of great interest, and there is a regular increase in efforts to examine these matters in depth. Together these points make a strong case for thorough understanding of what oxysterols are and how they are derived.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Human Biological Chemistry & Genetics, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, 77550, USA

    Leland L. Smith

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  1. Leland L. Smith
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. INSERM Unit 58, Montpellier, France

    A. Crastes de Paulet

  2. INSERM Unit 101, Toulouse, France

    L. Douste-Blazy

  3. University of Milan, Milan, Italy

    R. Paoletti

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© 1990 Plenum Press, New York

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Smith, L.L. (1990). Mechanisms of Formation of Oxysterols: A General Survey. In: de Paulet, A.C., Douste-Blazy, L., Paoletti, R. (eds) Free Radicals, Lipoproteins, and Membrane Lipids. NATO ASI Series, vol 189. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-7427-5_12

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-7427-5_12

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4684-7429-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4684-7427-5

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