[Physiology and pathology of the lipid transport in the brain]

Apolipoprotein E is the major lipid carrier protein in the brain. This protein is contained in HDL1-like particles in human and rat cerebrospinal fluid. Cerebrospinal fluid apolipoprotein metabolism is resistant to the alteration in plasma lipoprotein metabolism and to age-related changes. In a patient with multiple sclerosis, immunoreactive apolipoprotein E was seen in astrocytes and macrophages in the brain section with a pathological change, indicating that apolipoprotein E has a significant role in the lipid redistribution process after demyelination. The epsilon4 allele is more frequent in Japanese patients with Alzheimer's disease than in control, as well as Caucasians, suggesting the significant contribution of the epsilon4 allele to the pathogenesis of the disease.