HMG coa reductase activity of Lens epithelial cells: Compared with true rates of sterol synthesis

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Current Eye Research

Abstract

The regulation of sterol synthesis in the lens was addressed in the present study by comparing changes in the activity of HMG CoA reductase to changes in true rates of sterol synthesis for bovine lens epithelial cells in culture. The lens cells possessed very high levels of reductase activity (165 to 241 units/106 cells) which doubled when the cells were grown in media depleted of lipoproteins. True rates of sterol synthesis were simultaneously measured from incorporation of tritiated water into digitonin-precipitable sterols. Rates of sterol synthesis increased an average 37% more than the increase in reductase activity when the cells were deprived of exogenous cholesterol. Although not perfect, the results indicate a close correlation between HMG CoA reductase activity and rates of sterol synthesis in lens epithelial cells. We conclude that the activity of HMG CoA reductase is a major determinant of the rate of cholesterol synthesis in the lens. © 1987 Informa UK Ltd All rights reserved: reproduction in whole or part not permitted.

First Page

1045

Last Page

1049

DOI

10.3109/02713688709034875

Publication Date

1-1-1987

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