Brain cholesterol. XI. A review of biosynthesis in adult mice

During the past decade, our laboratory has been involved in studying the biosynthesis of brain cholesterol under various conditions. As a result of these studies, we feel that the hypothesis of metabolic stability of cholesterol in adult life is untenable. Our data suggest that there are several compartments of sterol metabolism ranging from extremely fast to metabolically very slow. It is our hypothesis that (a) brain function is more nearly associated with fast turnover compartments than with metabolically slow ones; (b) these compartments can be altered by a variety of stress conditions. Current experimental work being done with monkeys and baboons, and in human fetii suggest that conclusions formed about the mouse generally are applicable to these higher evolutionary forms. What remains unsolved is the relationship between cholesterol metabolism and brain function. We continue to search for answers to physiological psychology.