Cholesterol sulfate in human physiology: what's it all about?

摘要: Cholesterol sulfate is quantitatively the most important known sterol in human plasma, where it present a concentration that overlaps of other abundant circulating steroid sulfate, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) sulfate. Although these sulfolipids have similar production and metabolic clearance rates, they arise from distinct sources are metabolized by different pathways. While function DHEA remains an enigma, cholesterol has emerged as regulatory molecule. component cell membranes stabilizing role, e.g., protecting erythrocytes osmotic lysis regulating sperm capacitation. It platelet supports adhesion. can regulate activity serine proteases, those involved blood clotting, fibrinolysis, epidermal As result its ability to selective protein kinase C isoforms modulate specificity phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, signal transduction. functions keratinocyte differentiation, inducing genes encode for key components development barrier. The accumulating evidence demonstrating appears solid; challenge now work out molecular mechanisms whereby this interesting molecule carries various roles.