Reverse cholesterol transport is a process in which
accumulated cholesterol is removed from tissues,
including the artery wall, and transported back to
the liver for excretion. Little is known about how
cholesterol is removed from peripheral tissues, but
a better understanding of these mechanisms could
help in the development of therapies that treat
atherosclerosis and other cholesterol-related
disorders.
In this issue of the Journal of Clinical
Investigation, researchers led by Gwendalyn Randolph
and colleagues at Washington University in St. Louis
examined the role of the lymphatic system in RCT.
The lymphatic system generally mediates transport of
large molecules from the area around blood vessels
into the blood. Randolph and colleagues tracked RCT
in a mouse model of atherosclerosis with normal and
impaired lymphatic growth.
Mice lacking normal lymphatic growth retained more
cholesterol in their aortas, indicating that
lymphatic vessels are required for RCT in the aortic
wall.
These findings suggest that therapies that support
lymphatic transport could enhance cholesterol
clearance from arteries. In a companion commentary,
Carlos Fernandez-Hernando of New York University
discusses how such therapies could be used to treat
atherosclerotic vascular disease.
For more information
Lymphatic vasculature mediates macrophage reverse
cholesterol transport in mice, J Clin Invest. doi:10.1172/JCI63685
Lymphatic vessels clean up your arteries, J Clin
Invest. 2013;123(4):1417–1419. doi:10.1172/JCI68657
http://www.jci.org/articles/view/68657
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