[Ultrastructural characteristics of macrophage transformation in foam cells in in vitro experiments]

Ultrastructural features of lipid vacuole formation in foam cells were studied in a mouse macrophage culture on the use of aggregated low density lipids (a-LDL) and fibroblast-modified LDL (fm-LDL). Modification of LDL properties is a factor which induces rapid transformation of macrophages to foam cells. Catabolism of a-LDL and fm-LDL and lipid vacuole formation is carried out in two ways: with and without involvement of lysosomes. In the former case membraneless lipid vacuoles are formed, in the latter one, lipid vacuoles surrounded by a membrane.