Regulatory action of cholesterol esters on the eicosanoid metabolism.

The influence of cholesterol esters (CE) on the formation of prostacyclin (PGI2) and thromboxane A2 (TXA2) depends on the concentration of the added CE and the fatty acid, esterified in the CE. Our results demonstrate that the formation of eicosanoids depends on the CE composition in the microenvironment of the enzymes. Therefore we suggest that the influence of elevated CE levels on the development of atherosclerosis may be also mediated by their influence on the eicosanoid metabolism.