Interactions between cyclodextrins and cellular components: Towards greener medical applications?

Leclercq, Loïc

As previously mentioned, CDs are able to interact and to complex cholesterol and others lipids [114] . A great number of publications deals with this topic and with the consequences of this phenomenon (e.g., hemolysis or cytotoxicity, see section above). Since the nineties, β-CDs are known to have a high affinity, in vitro, for sterols as compared to other lipids [58, 115] . Consequently, these molecules can be used to manipulate the cellular cholesterol content, to modify cholesterol metabolism [115, 116] and to stimulate the removal of cholesterol from a variety of cells in culture [80, [117] [118] [119] . It should be noted that the cholesterol extraction by CDs is both time and dose dependent. In addition, the exposure of cells to modified β-CD in the 10-100 mM concentration range results in high rates of cell cholesterol efflux. Some typical examples are presented in this section.