Considerable evidence supports the involvement of acyl-CoA: cholesterol acyltransferase
(ACAT) in the maintenance of intracellular cholesterol homeostasis. A number of recently
developed ACAT inhibitors may have potential use as pharmacological agents to reduce the
development of atherosclerosis. Recently, however, reports arose describing cytotoxic
effects following administration of a specific ACAT inhibitor to experimental animals. In order
to address the specific intracellular mechanisms involved with the cytotoxic effect, we …