Department of Medicine, Division of Preventive Medicine & Nutrition, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, 630 West 168th Street, New York, NY, 10032, USA,
Curr Atheroscler Rep. 2013 Nov;15(11):365. doi: 10.1007/s11883-013-0365-1.
The endothelium is often viewed solely as the barrier that prevents the penetration of circulating lipoproteins into the arterial wall. However, recent research has demonstrated that the endothelium has an important part in regulating circulating fatty acids and lipoproteins, and is in turn affected by these lipids/lipoproteins in ways that appear to have important repercussions for atherosclerosis. Thus, a number of potentially toxic lipids are produced during lipolysis of lipoproteins at the endothelial cell surface. Catabolism of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins creates free fatty acids that are readily taken up by endothelial cells, and, likely through the action of acyl-CoA synthetases, exacerbate inflammatory processes. In this article, we review how the endothelium participates in lipoprotein metabolism, how lipids alter endothelial functions, and how lipids are internalized, processed, and transported into the subendothelial space. Finally, we address the many endothelial changes that might promote atherogenesis, especially in the setting of diabetes.
内皮细胞通常被视为阻止循环脂蛋白穿透动脉壁的屏障。然而，最近的研究表明，内皮细胞在调节循环脂肪酸和脂蛋白方面起着重要作用，反过来又受到这些脂质/脂蛋白的影响，这些影响似乎对动脉粥样硬化有重要影响。因此，在脂蛋白在血管内皮细胞表面发生脂解的过程中会产生许多潜在的有毒脂质。富含甘油三酯的脂蛋白的分解代谢会产生游离脂肪酸，这些脂肪酸很容易被内皮细胞吸收，并且可能通过酰基辅酶 A 合成酶的作用，加剧炎症过程。在本文中，我们回顾了内皮细胞如何参与脂蛋白代谢，脂质如何改变内皮细胞功能，以及脂质如何被内化、加工和运输到血管下腔。最后，我们讨论了许多可能促进动脉粥样硬化形成的内皮细胞变化，尤其是在糖尿病的情况下。
