Absorption of cholesterol and beta-sitosterol from cigarette smoke in Macaca mulatta

When smoke from single cigarettes containing [4-14C]cholesterol or beta-[4-14C]sitosterol was delivered to the lungs of Rhesus macaques, plasma contained radiolabeled sterols up to 50 days later. Since cholesterol, as well as plant sterols (campesterol, stigmasterol and beta-sitosterol), are normally present in cigarette smoke, our observations suggest that protracted absorption of sterols occurs after cigarette smoking.