Endocrinology and Metabolism Division, Lipids Lab (LIM-10), University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil.
IUBMB Life. 2012 Apr;64(4):296-306. doi: 10.1002/iub.1006. Epub 2012 Feb 29.
The plasma cholesterol-reducing effect of phytosterols (PS) has been recognized in several studies, but the usefulness of PS in preventing coronary heart disease remains controversial, as some investigations claim that the high PS concentrations found in plasma and specific tissues are related to an increased risk of cardiovascular events. It has also been demonstrated that PS may induce inflammation and reduce cholesterol efflux from macrophages, conditions that are directly implicated in the development of atherosclerosis. As to arterial dysfunction and atherosclerosis, some studies have concluded that plasma PS concentrations are unrelated or only weakly related or that PS intake or plasma PS concentrations are harmful. Thus, in light of the National Cholesterol Education Program-ATPIII report, it is necessary to evaluate the relevance of their findings. To this end, we have evaluated the studies conducted on cells, animal models, and humans regarding the influence of PS on the development of atherosclerosis.
植物固醇（PS）可降低血浆胆固醇，这一作用已在多项研究中得到证实，但是 PS 预防冠心病的作用仍存在争议，因为一些研究表明，血浆和特定组织中发现的高 PS 浓度与心血管事件风险增加有关。此外，研究还表明 PS 可能会引发炎症并减少巨噬细胞中胆固醇的外排，而这些情况直接与动脉粥样硬化的发展有关。至于动脉功能障碍和动脉粥样硬化，一些研究得出的结论是，血浆 PS 浓度无关、仅弱相关或 PS 摄入或血浆 PS 浓度有害。因此，根据国家胆固醇教育计划-ATPIII 报告，有必要评估这些发现的相关性。为此，我们评估了关于 PS 对动脉粥样硬化发展影响的细胞、动物模型和人体研究。
