In general , markers for cholesterol absorption and synthesis displayed reciprocal patterns , showing that cholesterol metabolism is tightly regulated by the interplay of intestinal absorption and endogenous synthesis .
Distinctive patterns for cholesterol absorption or cholesterol synthesis could be identified , suggesting that metabolic disorders can be classified as ' cholesterol absorbers or cholesterol synthesizers ' .
Non-cholesterol sterols are vali date d biomarkers for intestinal cholesterol absorption and endogenous cholesterol synthesis .
However , their use in metabolic disturbances has not been systematic ally explored .
Therefore , we conducted a systematic review to provide an overview of non-cholesterol sterols as markers for cholesterol metabolism in different metabolic disorders .
Evidence for a short-term stimulatory effect of insulin on cholesterol synthesis in newly insulin-treated diabetic patients.
To gain further insight into the effects of insulin on cholesterol synthesis in humans , 19 newly insulin-treated diabetic patients were studied before any insulin treatment ( study day 1 ) and after a few days of optimized glycemic control with a continuous intravenous insulin infusion ( study day 2 ) . The patients were divided into two groups according to their clinical characteristics and laboratory disorders . Groups I and II consisted , respectively , of 10 newly diagnosed type I diabetic patients and nine type II diabetic patients with secondary failure to oral antidiabetic drugs .  Cholesterol synthesis was estimated from the determination of serum lathosterol , a metabolic precursor in the cholesterol pathway , and from the serum lathosterol to cholesterol ratio . Serum cholesterol ( millimolar , mean + /- SEM ) remained unchanged in both groups . After insulin therapy ( study day 2 ) , serum lathosterol ( micromolar ) and the serum lathosterol to cholesterol ratio ( molar ratio x 10(3 ) ) were significantly increased as compared with baseline ( study day 1 ) . Serum lathosterol levels were as follows : 9.9 + /- 2.0 versus 4.1 + /- 0.4 ( P < .02 ) in group I , and 9.9 + /- 0.8 versus 5.7 + /- 0.7 ( P < .005 ) in group II ; serum lathosterol to cholesterol ratios were 2.10 + /- 0.39 versus 0.86 + /- 0.11 ( P < .005 ) in group I , and 1.92 + /- 0.12 versus 0.98 + /- 0.10 ( P < .001 ) in group II . The data indicate that in newly insulin-treated diabetic patients , short-term intensive insulin therapy has a stimulatory effect on cholesterol synthesis and even results in cholesterol overproduction
In general , markers for cholesterol absorption and synthesis displayed reciprocal patterns , showing that cholesterol metabolism is tightly regulated by the interplay of intestinal absorption and endogenous synthesis .
Distinctive patterns for cholesterol absorption or cholesterol synthesis could be identified , suggesting that metabolic disorders can be classified as ' cholesterol absorbers or cholesterol synthesizers ' .
Non-cholesterol sterols are vali date d biomarkers for intestinal cholesterol absorption and endogenous cholesterol synthesis .
However , their use in metabolic disturbances has not been systematic ally explored .
Therefore , we conducted a systematic review to provide an overview of non-cholesterol sterols as markers for cholesterol metabolism in different metabolic disorders .