Chapter 8 **Quantitative Proteomic Analysis of Skeletal Muscle Detergent-Resistant Membranes in a Smith-Lemli-Opitz Syndrome Mouse 125**

Maria Luís Cardoso, Rui Vitorino, Henrique Reguengo, Susana Casal, Rui Fernandes, Isabel Duarte, Sofia Lamas, Renato Alves, Francisco Amado and Franklim Marques

Preface

book on cholesterol.

tures of cholesterol in Chapters 1 to 5.

In the food, the diet, and the body, one often hears the term "cholesterol" and asks "what is this cholesterol?" In this book entitled *Cholesterol - Good, Bad, and the Heart*," now you got the answers given by the experts in the field. Moreover, you can explore more by reading the references/citations given in the articles of each chapter. It is still an emerging field and lot more is being discovered. You will be amazed how much knowledge is already there in this

The book contains eight chapters. The first section covers the structural and functional fea‐

In Chapter 1, Zhiwei Y. et al. describe cholesterol in various forms, as high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and cholesteryl ester trans‐ fer protein (*CETP*), the molecules that play central roles in the transport of cholesterol. HDL-C has been well known as antiatherogenic (good cholesterol), whereas LDL-C (bad cholesterol) is considered to be a major cause of atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases. In Chapter 2, Zhang Weizhan describes cholesterol balance regulation by endocrine hormones and regula‐ tion of lipid metabolism in humans and rats and its linkage with genetic differences. In Chap‐ ter 3, Hissa B. and Pontes B. explore the role of cholesterol in cellular processes, such as modulating actin architecture and cellular contractility, lipid rafts, and membrane heteroge‐ neity. In Chapter 4, Gungor Banu focusses on biosensors as analytical tools to measure choles‐ terol with very high precision, sensitivity, and speed and thus overcomes the disadvantages of the earlier procedures. In Chapter 5, Bikram H.A. shows that cholesterol is an important and useful parameter for distinguishing between pleural fluid exudates and transudates.

The second section includes Chapters 6 to 8 on cholesterol and the heart. In Chapter 6, Eyup A. et al. give a comprehensive review of cholesterol hypothesis and epidemiology of atherosclero‐ sis. In Chapter 7, Yuan Y. et al. discuss the role of dietary cholesterol as a risk factor in the pathogenesis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. In Chapter 8, , Cardoso ML. et al. describe biochemical, phenotypic, and neurophysiological characteristics of the mouse model of Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome (SLOS), an inborn error of metabolism in cholesterol biosynthesis.

You will realize that cholesterol is an essential and extremely important building block of cell membranes and thus serves vital functions in the body. It is also a precursor for the synthesis of steroid hormones, bile acids, and vitamin D. What makes it good or bad is the type of lipo‐ protein that binds to it. One is high-density lipoprotein, or HDL, and the cholesterol bound to it is the HDL-cholesterol, and it is the good cholesterol (antiatherogenic), whereas the lowdensity lipoprotein, or LDL-bound cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, is the bad cholesterol (athe‐ rogenic). LDL-cholesterol contributes to fatty buildups and narrows blood vessels and raises the risk for heart attack and stroke. HDL-cholesterol protects against heart attack and stroke.
