ABSTRACT
Originally, cholesterol absorption was thought to only occur by passive diffusion aided by the concentration gradient of free cholesterol created between the extra-and intracellular space or by cholesterol in bile. However, several lines of evidence indicate that cholesterol absorption to a certain extent is a protein-mediated process involving several receptors and transporters, which facilitate cholesterol influx into enterocytes or flux into the enterocyte/efflux back to the intestinal lumen. However, passive diffusion is not completely ruled out, as there may be some cholesterol entering the enterocyte this way, especially following a fatty meal (81).
