Influence of cholesterol oxides on endocytosis of cultured endothelial and smooth muscle cells.

Human umbilical veinb endothelial cells and rabbit aortic smooth muscle cells in culture were incubated for intervals up to 24 hrs with varying concentrations of cholesterol, 7-ketocholesterol, 25-hydroxycholesterol, cholestane-3β,5α,6β-triol or cholesterol-5α, 6β-epoxide. Endocytosis, as measured by uptake of horseradish peroxidase (HRP), was inhibited in a dose and time dependent manner in both endothelial and smooth muscle cell cultures by cholestane-3β,5α,6β-triol and 25-hydroxycholesterol