Erythrocyte membrane lipids classes

Because vitamin E is transported in lipoproteins secreted hy the liver, the plasma concentration depends to a great extent on total plasma lipids. Erythrocytes may also he important in transport, because there is a relatively large amount of the vitamin in erythrocyte membranes, and this is in rapid equilibrium with plasma vitamin E. There are two mechanisms for tissue uptake of the vitamin. Lipoprotein lipase releases the vitamin by hydrolyzing the tri-acylglycerol in chylomicrons and VLDL, whereas separately there is receptor-mediated uptake of LDL-bound vitamin E. Studies in knockout mice suggest that the main mechanism for tissue uptake of vitamin E from plasma lipoproteins is byway of the class B scavenger receptor (Mardones et al., 2002). 

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