Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA.
Curr Atheroscler Rep. 2013 Sep;15(9):354. doi: 10.1007/s11883-013-0354-4.
Key components of atherosclerotic plaque known to drive disease progression are macrophages and cholesterol. It has been widely understood, and bolstered by recent evidence, that the efflux of cholesterol from macrophage foam cells quells disease progression or even to promote regression. Following macrophage cholesterol efflux, cholesterol loaded onto HDL must be removed from the plaque environment. Here, we focus on recent evidence that the lymphatic vasculature is critical for the removal of cholesterol, likely as a component of HDL, from tissues including skin and the artery wall. We discuss the possibility that progression of atherosclerosis might in part be linked to sluggish removal of cholesterol from the plaque.
已知导致动脉粥样硬化斑块进展的关键成分是巨噬细胞和胆固醇。人们普遍认为，最近的证据也证实了，巨噬细胞泡沫细胞中胆固醇的外排可以抑制疾病的进展，甚至促进其消退。在巨噬细胞胆固醇外排之后，载有胆固醇的 HDL 必须从斑块环境中清除。在这里，我们重点关注最近的证据，即淋巴血管系统对于从皮肤和动脉壁等组织中清除胆固醇（可能是 HDL 的一部分）至关重要。我们讨论了这样一种可能性，即动脉粥样硬化的进展可能部分与胆固醇从斑块中缓慢清除有关。
