Abstract
SUMMARY: 1. The cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) promotes an equimolar exchange of cholesteryl esters between the high density lipoproteins (HDL) and low density lipoproteins (LDL) in human plasma.2. Sodium oleate converts this CETP‐mediated process of exchange into one of net mass transfer of cholesteryl esters from HDL to LDL.3. Thus, conditions which increase the concentration of non‐esterified fatty acids in plasma may favour the redistribution of cholesterol from the non‐atherogenic HDL to the atherogenic LDL fraction.