“…Moreover, it has been reported that 7-ketocholesterol can favor in vitro monocyte differentiation and foam cell formation (16). Interestingly, in the atherosclerotic process, the part played by unesterified cholesterol in intracellular lipid accumulation is well documented, and the associated cellular modifications, such as the presence of multilamellar cytoplasmic structures, recall the modifications observed under treatment with cytotoxic oxysterols (7-ketocholesterol, 7ß-hydroxycholesterol, cholesterol-5ß, 6ß epoxide) in various cell types (24,31,32,46): presence of multilamellar cytoplasmic structures (also called myelin figures) of various sizes and shapes (27) and intracellular accumulation of polar lipids revealed by Nile Red staining and subcellular fractionation associated with gaseous chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (30,38). When the cells were treated with 7-ketocholesterol, these biochemical analyses also revealed an accumulation of cholesterol and 7-ketocholesterol in myelin figures.…”