Cholesterol biosynthesis in human lymphocytes,monocytes, and granulocytes

Lymphocytes, monocytes and granulocytes were separated by counter-flow centrifugation from the blood of normal individuals and were incubated in full serum medium or lipid-depleted medium. The monocytes incorporated about five times more 2-¹⁴C]acetate into sterols than did the lymphocytes in full serum medium and approximately twenty times more than the lymphocytes in lipid-depleted medium. The granulocytes were unable to synthesize sterols from either 2-¹⁴C]acetate or 2-¹⁴C]mevalonate, but they were able to use these substrates for the synthesis of squalene and demonstrated approximately a two fold increase in the incorporation of 2-¹⁴C]acetate (but not 2-¹⁴C]mevalonate) into squalene when incubated in the lipid-depleted medium as compared to the full serum medium.