ABSTRACT
Cholesterol is transported within the body by various lipoprotein fractions through lipid-protein interaction. Plasma lipoproteins not only function to solubilize lipids but also contain within their apoprotein structure the specific information that dictates the body sites to which the sterol is to be delivered, the amount of cholesterol carried in the plasma, and the duration of its transport. The potential importance of the intestine in cholesterol transport lies in the fact that it is the sole extrahepatic site of plasma lipoprotein synthesis, and it is the initial portal entry for the absorbed cholesterol along with other wide varieties of compounds. Lower density lipoproteins carry the bulk of cholesterol to peripheral tissues where they are taken up as donors of cellular cholesterol. The tissue cholesterol is brought into plasma and transported back to the liver by yet unknown mechanisms possibly by high density lipoproteins as the reverse cholesterol transport vehicle.
