Influence of cholesterol oxidation derivatives on membrane bound enzymes in cultured aortic smooth muscle cells.

Cholestane-3 beta, 5 alpha, 6 beta-triol and 25-hydroxycholesterol are two of the most cytotoxic and also relatively abundant of the autoxidation derivatives of cholesterol. Cultured aortic smooth muscle cells which were incubated with 10 micrograms/ml of either sterol for 24 to 48 hr showed a marked decrease of 5'-nucleotidase activity in isolated crude membranes. It was further demonstrated that 5'-nucleotidase activity was also markedly decreased in plasma membrane-enriched fractions when cells were incubated with cholestane-3 beta,5 alpha,6 beta-triol. Na+,K+-ATPase activity in crude membranes showed a significant decrease (32%) only in cells incubated with cholestane-3 beta,5 alpha,6 beta-triol for 48 hr. There was no effect on Na+,K+-ATPase activity in cells incubated for 24 hr with either sterol.