| 摘要 |
The present invention provides a pharmaceutical composition consisting essentially of large liposomes comprised of phospholipids substantially free of sterol. The composition forces the reverse transport of cholesterol from peripheral tissues to the liver in vivo. The invention further provides a method of treating atherosclerosis in a subject comprising the step of administering a liposome composition to the subject. The liposome composition is selected from the group consisting of unilamellar liposomes and multilamellar liposomes and the liposomes have an average diameter of about 50-150 nanometers. LDL levels in said subject do not increase with utilization of the method. The invention also provides a method of controlling cholesterol metabolism in hepatic parenchymal cells in a subject in vivo through cell-cell communication from Kupffer cells to the parenchymal cells. The method includes the step of administering a liposome composition to a subject. The liposome composition is selected from the group consisting of large unilamellar liposomes and large multilamellar liposomes, and the liposomes having an average diameter of about 50-150 nanometers. Similarly, LDL levels in the subject do not increase. In variants, the liposome composition is given periodically, given more than once, or given in repeated doses. The liposomes have diameters larger than about 50 nm, diameters larger than about 80 nm, and diameters larger than about 100 nm in different variants. The liposomes are phospholipids selected from the group consisting of phosphatidyl choline, phosphatidyl glycerol, palmitoyl-oleoyl phosphatidyl choline, combinations thereof, and derivatives thereof. |
