High density lipoprotein (HDL) is able to remove unesterified cholesterol from peripheral
cells in the process of reverse cholesterol transport by an aqueous diffusion mechanism as
well as by an apolipoprotein (apo)-mediated process. The aqueous diffusion mechanism is
understood but the molecular mechanism of lipid-poor pre-β-HDL-(apo-) mediated
cholesterol removal is not known. Measurements of the initial rates of efflux of unesterified
cholesterol and phospholipid from human fibroblasts to lipid-free, human apoA-I showed …