Lipid rafts: A signalling platform linking lipoprotein metabolism to atherogenesis

• Published in: Atherosclerosis 2012-04, Vol.221 (2), p.303-310
• Main Authors: Lemaire-Ewing, Stéphanie, Lagrost, Laurent, Néel, Dominique
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; anti-inflammatory activity; apoptosis; atherogenesis; Atherosclerosis; Atherosclerosis (general aspects, experimental research); Atherosclerosis - immunology; Atherosclerosis - metabolism; Atherosclerosis - pathology; Biological and medical sciences; Blood and lymphatic vessels; Blood Vessels - immunology; Blood Vessels - metabolism; Blood Vessels - pathology; Cardiology. Vascular system; Cardiovascular; Cholesterol; Cholesterol - metabolism; cytokines; General and cellular metabolism. Vitamins; high density lipoprotein; Humans; hypercholesterolemia; inflammation; Inflammation Mediators - metabolism; lipid content; Lipid raft; Lipoprotein; Lipoproteins - metabolism; Medical sciences; Membrane Microdomains - immunology; Membrane Microdomains - metabolism; metabolism; Oxysterol; pathophysiology; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; plasma membrane; secretion; Signal Transduction; sphingolipids
• ISSN: 0021-9150; 1879-1484
• DOI: 10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2011.10.016

Lipid rafts are microdomains of the plasma membrane which are enriched in cholesterol and sphingolipids. They serve as a platform for signal transduction, in particular during immune and inflammatory responses. As hypercholesterolemia and inflammation are two key elements of atherogenesis, it is conceivable that the cholesterol and cholesterol oxide content of lipid rafts might influence the inflammatory signalling pathways, thus modulating the development of atherosclerosis. In support of this emerging view, lipid rafts have been shown to be involved in several key steps of atherogenesis, such as the oxysterol-mediated apoptosis of vascular cells, the blunted ability of high density lipoproteins (HDL) to exert anti-inflammatory effects, and the exacerbated secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines by immune cells. Additional studies are now required to address the relative contribution of lipid raft abnormalities to the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease.