Two researchers working in the field of crystals for the first time were able to photograph the formation of cholesterol crystals, by simulating what is happening inside the body. The results give new horizons to develop treatments for cholesterol.
Dr. Jeffrey Rimmer and Dr. Peter Vecilov, Professor of Chemical Engineering from Houston University from the United States, published the results and videos that show the formation of the surface of cholesterol crystals, which are expected to provide valuable visions about the role of cholesterol in heart disease, in the Journal of the National Academy of Sciences (Proceds of the National Academy of Sciences) on the third of March. It was written about the Yorik Alert website.
Cholesterol crystals
The presence of cholesterol crystals – a basic fatty molecule that is abundant in mammal cells – was described in tissues for the first time in more than 100 years.
Cholesterol crystals play a role in many cardiovascular diseases and gallbladder stones, including myocardial infarction and atherosclerosis, as crystals can accumulate in blood vessels or gallbladder, causing their blockage.
Although the basic mechanisms and signals participating in the formation of cholesterol crystals are completely incomprehensible, many studies have highlighted the presence of cholesterol crystals at different stages of the development of diseases.
Dr. Rimmer pointed out that “these visions provide the basis for a future design of materials that can interact specifically with the surfaces of crystals to inhibit their growth, thus providing new opportunities to discover treatments and develop new drugs that improve human health by facing the harmful effects associated with cholesterol deposit in the body.”
Simulating what is happening in the body
The researchers found that crystals grow in the form of layers, and these layers interact together to slow the growth process. Comparing thin and thick crystals showed differences in the growth rate.
The team initially selects a special solvent that mimics the natural environment of the body. The solvent provided an appropriate environment for the formation of cholesterol crystals with appropriate physiological structure, which allowed scientists to monitor their growth directly.
Dr. Vikilov said: “Using a binary mixture of water and isopropanol, as this compound works as a simple alternative to fat in physiological environments that match the most common shape in the living body, we have shown that mono -hydrate cholesterol crystals grow traditionally by forming the nucleus and forming new crystal layers and spreading over each other.”
The team took pictures over time to monitor the growth of cholesterol crystals. They saw it growing in layers, and they saw these layers spreading on the surface of the crystal, then joining other layers that increase on the edges.
Rimmer says: “The analytical photography confirms that the layers are generated by displacement, and that the monomra – small particles can be linked to the formation of more complicated molecules – integrate into advanced steps after spreading along the surface of the crystal, and not directly from the solution,” says Rimmer.