Acyl-coenzyme A:cholesterol O-acyltransferase is not identical to liver microsomal carboxylesterase

Acyl-coenzyme A (CoA):cholesterol O-acyltransferase (ACAT) is responsible for esterification of cholesterol in the cell. The enzyme has never been purified, but two cDNA sequences coding for this enzyme were recently reported. One of the sequences was identical to human liver carboxylesterase. We have used inhibitors to elucidate the relation between microsomal carboxylesterase, acyl-CoA hydrolase (ACH), and ACAT activities in rat liver. Low concentrations of serine esterase inhibitors strongly inhibited carboxylesterase and acyl-CoA hydrolase activities but stimulated ACAT activity. At higher concentrations, ACAT activity was also inhibited. A sulfhydryl-modifying agent was found to be a potent inhibitor of ACAT without affecting carboxylesterase activity. Similarly, two specific ACAT inhibitors, DL-melinamide and PD 138142-15, inhibited ACAT activity but did not affect carboxylesterase or ACH activities. Our data thus exclude ACAT as a liver microsomal carboxylesterase. The complex inhibition patterns observed with serine esterase inhibitors indicate that carboxylesterases and ACHs may interfere with ACAT activity by competing for the substrate. It is obvious that final identification of ACAT requires demonstration of an active homogenous protein.

Interleukin 1 stimulates cholesterol esterification and cholesterol deposition in J774 monocytes-macrophages

The effects of interleukin 1beta (IL1) in the range of concentration of 10-30 ng/ml on cholesterol metabolism were investigated in the monocyte-macrophage cell line J774. IL1 enhanced cholesterol esterification by [14C]oleic acid and acyl-coenzyme A cholesterol acyl transferase activity in a dose-dependent manner. Incubation of IL1-treated cells with acetylated low density lipoproteins labelled with [3H]cholesteryllinoleate resulted in accumulation of radioactive cholesterol in free and esterified form. Concomitantly, IL1 increased the free and esterified cholesterol intracellular content measured by the cholesterol oxidase technique. The effect of IL1 on cholesterol esterification by oleic acid was not observed in the presence of cycloheximide or of the ACAT inhibitor Sandoz 58 035. IL1 also stimulated cholesterol esterification in other cell types such as human fibroblasts and murine endothelial and smooth muscle cells. The effect of IL1 is specific, since IL2 or tumor necrosis factor (TNF) exhibited no significant activity, whereas oncostatin M only slightly enhanced cholesterol esterification. Since cholesterol deposition is involved in the initiation and progression of the atherosclerotic lesions, these findings highlight the role of the inflammatory cytokine IL1 on this process.

Application of 2-hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin in the assay of acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase and neutral and acid cholesterol ester hydrolases

The utility of 2-hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin for increasing the sensitivity of assays for the microsomal acylCoA:cholesterol acyltransferase, and the acid lysosomal and the neutral microsomal and cytosolic cholesterol ester hydrolase activity was studied in rat hepatocytes. Enzyme assays, at optimal concentrations of cyclodextrin, were validated by assessing: (i) linearity of product formation with incubation time and protein amount, and saturation with substrate, and (ii) the effect of treatments of cells or of subcellular fractions on enzyme activities. Delivery of cholesterol dissolved in 2-hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin to the acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase assay mixture raised the enzyme activity more than 8-fold and was twice that measured when cholesterol was added in Triton WR-1339. 2-Hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin itself was partially effective, apparently by making endogenous cholesterol more accesible to the enzyme. Inclusion of 2-hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin in cholesterol ester hydrolase assays using standard micellar substrates doubled the activity estimated in lysosome and microsome preparations and enhanced the cytosolic cholesterol esterase activity by about 50%. Differences in the catalytic activity of acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase and cholesterol ester hydrolases caused by treatment of hepatocytes with compound 58-035 or 25-hydroxycholesterol, or of subcellular fractions with NaF, were maintained when enzymes were assayed with cyclodextrin. The results indicate that 2-hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin is a suitable vehicle for delivering cholesterol to acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase and enhances the sensitivity of standard assays of the enzymes governing the intrahepatic hydrolysis of cholesteryl esters.

Impaired mobilisation of cholesterol from stored cholesteryl esters in human (THP-1) macrophages

The formation of macrophage-derived foam cells is central to the development of fatty streaks within the arterial wall, and to the progression of atherosclerosis. The unregulated deposition of cholesteryl esters, as lipid droplets within the cytoplasm of these cells, is responsible for the formation of foam cells; this process is thought to be regulated by the balance between cholesterol esterification, by acyl CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT), and hydrolysis, by neutral cholesteryl ester hydrolase (nCEH). This study examines the importance of the balance between these two enzymes in determining the efflux of cholesterol from human (THP-1) macrophages. The presence of modified lipoprotein, or of 25-hydroxycholesterol, markedly increased cholesterol esterification in these cells and these effects were potently inhibited by the presence of the ACAT inhibitor, 447C88. In the absence of HDL, an acceptor particle, there was little or no hydrolysis of the cholesteryl ester pool and no efflux of cholesterol to the extracellular milieu; addition of HDL led to a partial (36%) reduction in cholesteryl esters, an effect which was not enhanced by the inhibition of ACAT. This suggested that the stored cholesteryl esters in human (THP-1) macrophages, unlike those in mouse peritoneal macrophages, were relatively resistant to removal by efflux to HDL. Efflux of newly synthesised free cholesterol from these macrophages was increased by HDL in a saturable manner, suggesting that the lack of reduction of stored cholesteryl esters was due to impaired mobilisation of cholesteryl esters to free cholesterol via nCEH. Indeed, nCEH activity in these macrophages was much lower than in mouse peritoneal macrophages, and appeared to be down-regulated in the presence of 25-hydroxycholesterol or modified lipoproteins; this loss of nCEH activity was prevented by the ACAT inhibitor 447C88. The efflux of stored cholesteryl esters from THP-1 macrophages therefore appears to be limited by the activity of nCEH.

Lack of correlation between ACAT mRNA expression and cholesterol esterification in primary liver cells

A partial rabbit cDNA clone (14b) for ACAT has been characterized and used to demonstrate that hepatic and aortic ACAT mRNA14b abundance increased 2-3-fold in rabbits receiving a high fat/high cholesterol-diet compared to chow fed animals (Pape et al. (1995) J. Lipid Res. 36, 823-838). Because of those data we hypothesized that increased hepatic cholesteryl ester mass and synthesis rates in rabbit liver cells are associated with an increase in ACAT mRNA14b levels. To test this hypothesis we altered cellular cholesteryl ester mass and synthesis rates in primary parenchymal and nonparenchymal cells using various extracellular agents and measured the accumulated mass of ACAT mRNA14b. Parenchymal cells incubated with rabbit beta VLDL or mevalonolactone displayed a 6-10-fold increase in cellular cholesteryl ester mass over a three day treatment with no significant changes in cellular free cholesterol, triacylglycerols, or ACAT mRNA14b levels; HMG CoA reductase and LDL receptor mRNA mass decreased initially as a result of cholesteryl ester loading. Treatment of parenchymal cells with CI-976, an ACAT inhibitor, showed a marked reduction in cholesteryl ester synthetic rate compared to beta VLDL controls but displayed no change in ACAT mRNA14b levels. A mixed population of rabbit hepatic nonparenchymal cells was incubated with beta VLDL for 24 h in culture which resulted in a 6-fold increase in cellular cholesteryl ester mass; there was no change in ACAT mRNA14b levels. In an in vivo study, rabbits consuming a high fat/high cholesterol-diet for three weeks showed a 10-fold increase in hepatic cholesteryl ester with no significant changes in ACAT mRNA14b levels. Together these data indicate that rabbit liver cellular cholesteryl ester mass increases of up to 10-fold are not correlated with ACAT mRNA14b changes. Thus, hepatic ACAT mRNA14b expression and cellular cholesterol esterification do not appear to be coordinately regulated at this level of cholesteryl ester loading.

Effect of membrane environment on inhibition of acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase by a range of synthetic inhibitors

The effect of the membrane environment of acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyl transferase (ACAT), an important intracellular enzyme of cholesterol metabolism, on the properties of a range of inhibitors of varying potencies was studied. ACAT activity from rat liver was solubilised with 3% deoxycholate (97% solubilised activity). After dilution into cholesterol/phosphatidylcholine liposomes (molar ratio 0.35), the assay of this reconstituted system showed linearity with protein and time. Saturation with oleoyl-CoA was achieved at 10 microM. Comparison of the potency of the ACAT inhibitors in the reconstituted assay and in a microsomal assay revealed a relationship between the lipid content of the assay and the inhibitory activity for potent inhibitors of ACAT (CI976, CL277,082, YMI7E and DuP128). This relationship was unrelated to lipophilicity of the drugs. Octimibate, lovastatin and progesterone, none of which is a potent ACAT inhibitor but which have all been described as ACAT inhibitors in the literature, all had low potencies in both assay systems. These results suggest that the lipid concentration must be taken into account when comparing potencies of ACAT inhibitors. The present data also indicate that some compounds which inhibit cholesterol esterification may do so by an indirect mechanism.

The effects of simvastatin and cholestyramine, alone and in combination, on hepatic cholesterol metabolism in the male rat. off

The influence of dietary simvastatin, cholestyramine, and the combination of simvastatin plus cholestyramine on hepatic cholesterol metabolism has been investigated in male rats. Recovery from the effects of the drugs was also investigated by refeeding normal chow for 24 h. Both drugs, alone and in combination, increased 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA (HMG-CoA) reductase activity in vitro, but activity returned toward control values, after drug withdrawal. Acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT) was significantly reduced (P < 0.001) by simvastain (-75%), cholestyramine (-71%), and by the drug combination (-81%), due both to a decrease in microsomal cholesterol and to nonsubstrate-dependent modulation of enzyme activity. Refeeding control diet increased ACAT activity but not to control levels. The enhanced activity arose partly from higher microsomal cholesterol and partly from increases in total enzyme activity. Cytosolic neutral cholesteryl ester hydrolase (CEH) activity was substantially elevated by simvastatin (3-fold) and by the drug combination (6-fold), whereas the effect of cholestyramine was smaller (1.5-fold). Normal chow for 24 h only partially returned cytosolic CEH activity to control values. Microsomal CEH activity was increased by simvastatin, alone and in combination with cholestyramine (1.4 to 1.7-fold), and was also enhanced, in the cholestyramine-treated animals, following drug withdrawal. Removal of simvastatin did not allow recovery of this enzyme activity, while withdrawal of the drug combination led to values 29% below controls. The results indicate that in the rat, simvastatin and cholestyramine alter both ACAT and CEH activity, as well as inhibiting HMG-CoA reductase activity.

Dexamethasone enhances accumulation of cholesteryl esters by human macrophages

The effects of dexamethasone on lipid accumulation by human monocyte-derived macrophages were investigated. Preincubation of macrophages with dexamethasone for a period of 16-20 h resulted in a reproducible increase (3.5-fold) in the incorporation of oleate into cholesteryl esters. The effect was specific because no alterations were observed in oleate incorporation into triglycerides or phospholipids. Measurement of cellular cholesteryl esters indicated a fourfold increase after preincubation with dexamethasone. This increase was mediated by opposite effects on synthesis and breakdown of these lipids. Dexamethasone produced a 60% increase in activity of the enzyme acyl-CoA: cholesterol O-acyltransferase (ACAT), active in synthesis of cholesteryl esters, and a 40% decrease in that of neutral cholesteryl esterase, active in cholesteryl ester breakdown. The increased ACAT activity appeared to reflect increased mRNA for the enzyme. The effects of dexamethasone on cholesteryl ester accumulation by macrophages reached statistical significance at a concentration of 100 nM. They were dose dependent, and saturation was observed at around 1 microM. The effects were significant at low concentrations of cholesterol in the medium. At high-medium cholesterol, there was a large cholesterol-induced increase in ACAT activity that obscured most of the effect of dexamethasone. In general, the data suggest that high glucocorticoid levels enhance lipid accumulation by macrophages and thus would have an atherogenic action that is independent of serum cholesterol.

Effects of bile salts on rat hepatic acyl CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase

Acyl CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase (EC2.3.1.26, ACAT), responsible for intracellular esterification of cholesterol, may play an important role in cholesterol trafficking within the cell, and thus, in maintenance of cellular cholesterol homeostasis. Bile acids are potential regulators of cholesterol trafficking in the liver. Therefore, the effect of bile salts on hepatic ACAT activity was studied in the perfused rat liver. ACAT activity was increased after liver perfusion with either taurocholate or taurochenodeoxycholate. However, addition of these bile salts at physiological concentrations in vitro had little effect on microsomal ACAT activity. The increase in hepatic ACAT activity due to perfusion with bile salts was accompanied by reduced accumulation of very low density lipoprotein cholesterol in the perfusate, but there was no effect on 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase activity. Hepatic ACAT activity was decreased after bile diversion for four hours in the intact animal. This treatment had no statistically significant effect on 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase activity. These data suggest that bile salts induce changes in hepatic compartmentation and traffic of cholesterol within the hepatocyte accompanied by response of ACAT activity to maintain cellular cholesterol homeostasis.

1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3-induced HL-60 macrophages: regulation of cholesterol and LDL metabolism

Differentiation of human promyelocytic leukemic HL-60 cells with 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (D3) results in macrophages which exhibit specific and saturable receptor-mediated processing of both native and modified low density lipoprotein (LDL). Analysis of binding kinetics demonstrated that macrophages bind LDL and acetyl-LDL with similar affinities, yet possess significantly different numbers of receptors (55 +/- 6 x 10(3) LDL receptors/cell vs 79 +/- 7 x 10(3) acetyl-LDL receptors/cell). D3-induced HL-60 macrophages challenged with LDL or acetyl-LDL exhibited suppression of HMG-CoA reductase activity as well as a significant induction in the incorporation of [14C]oleate into cholesteryl ester compared with macrophages incubated with lipoprotein depleted serum. Maximum increases in ACAT activity were obtained in macrophages incubated with 25-hydroxycholesterol plus LDL or acetyl-LDL. The increase in ACAT activity in macrophages challenged with acetyl-LDL paralleled the increase in cellular cholesterol content and the increase of oil red O lipid stainable material, imparting the macrophages with a foamy appearance. The data indicate that D3-induced HL-60 macrophages are a useful model for the study of lipoprotein--macrophage interactions as related to foam cell development and atherogenesis.

Amides of piperidine, morpholine and piperazine substituted 1-phenylethylamines: inhibitors of acylCoA:cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT) activity in vitro and in vivo

Amides of some substituted 1,2-diarylethylamines have been shown to exhibit potent acylCoA:cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT, EC 2.3.1.26) inhibitory activity in vitro in microsomal ACAT assays but show poor in vivo activity in a cholesterol-fed hamster model. In an effort to design ACAT inhibitors that are potent in both our in vitro and in vivo assays a series of amides of piperidine, morpholine and piperazine substituted 1-phenylethylamines were synthesized. Compounds of this series were found to be very potent inhibitors of ACAT in a microsomal ACAT assay and also exhibited potent activity in a cholesterol-fed hamster model.

Role of acyl coenzyme A cholesterol acyltransferase in intrahepatic processing of apo B-lipoprotein in suncus

We have previously shown that fatty liver was easily induced in suncus by starvation and that the plasma level of apolipoprotein B (apoB) was very low. We also previously reported that a defect in the assembling process of apo B-containing lipoprotein (very low density lipoprotein, VLDL) may be one of the reasons for the low level of plasma apo B and for induction of fatty liver by starvation in suncus. We also found that hepatic acyl coenzyme A cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT) activity is very low in the animals, resulting in decreased cholesteryl ester contents in the liver. A deficiency of cholesteryl ester in suncus liver may be one of the reasons for the defect in the assembling process of VLDL. In this study, we investigated the effect of cholesterol-feeding, which induces an increase in triglyceride and cholesteryl ester of the liver as a consequence of the induction of both intestinal and hepatic ACAT activities, on the secretion of VLDL. Although the basal ACAT activity of intestinal mucosa was high, cholesterol-feeding did not induce either an increase in plasma lipid or an increase in intestinal ACAT activities in suncus. The hepatic secretion rate of VLDL was estimated by treatment with Triton WR1339, which is well known to inhibit the catabolism of VLDL. Cholesterol-feeding caused a slight increase in hepatic triglyceride and cholesteryl ester but no increase either in the secretion rate of VLDL or in hepatic ACAT activity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Genetic differences of lipid metabolism in macrophages from C57BL/6J and C3H/HeN mice

Cholesterol metabolism in macrophages from atherosclerosis-prone C57BL/6J mice was compared with that in macrophages from atherosclerosis-resistant C3H/HeN mice. Plasma total cholesterol levels of both types of mice were significantly increased, but HDL cholesterol level was increased only in C3H/HeN mice when a high-cholesterol diet (1% cholesterol) was fed for 5 weeks. After incubation of macrophages from male and female mice on the high-cholesterol diet with beta-VLDL for 24 hours, cholesterol content in macrophages from C57BL/6J was approximately 1.5- to 2.0-fold higher than in those from C3H/HeN mice. [3H]Cholesterol oleate-beta-VLDL incorporation into macrophages from C57BL/6J mice on the high-cholesterol diet was greater than incorporation into those from C3H/HeN mice. The release of [3H]cholesterol from macrophages from C57BL/6J mice on the high-cholesterol diet was one seventh that from macrophages from C57BL/6J mice on the basal diet or that from macrophages from C3H/HeN mice on the basal or high-cholesterol diet. Acid cholesterol esterase activity was almost the same in macrophages from any group. Acyl CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase activity in macrophages from C57BL/6J mice on the high-cholesterol diet increased compared with that from macrophages from C57BL/6J mice on the normal diet. Neutral cholesterol esterase activity in macrophages from C57BL/6J mice was about half of that in macrophages from C3H/HeN mice independent of the type of diet. There were no sex differences in these metabolisms. Considered with our previous data, these results suggested that a high-cholesterol diet may cause metabolic changes to accumulate cholesterol ester in macrophages from C57BL/6J mice in accordance with genetic abnormalities.

Cycling of apolipoprotein A-I between lipid-associated and lipid-free pools

It has been shown previously that the reduction in particle size of HDL which follows incubation with the cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) plus very-low-density lipoproteins (VLDL) or low-density lipoproteins (LDL) is accompanied by the dissociation of lipid-free apolipoprotein A-I (apo A-I) from HDL. In the present study, we demonstrate that this dissociation of apo A-I is reversible in a process dependent on the activity of lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT). The lipoprotein fraction (d < 1.21 g/ml) of human plasma was mixed with CETP and incubated under conditions such that the HDL decreased in size and there was a dissociation of about 30% of the apo A-I. Following this incubation, the d < 1.21 g/ml fraction was reisolated, supplemented with lipid-free apo A-I and reincubated in the presence and absence of LCAT, either as a component of lipoprotein-deficient plasma or as purified enzyme. In the absence of LCAT, HDL size did not increase and there was no incorporation of lipid-free apo A-I into the HDL density range. In contrast, when LCAT was present, the particle size of HDL increased and lipid-free apo A-I was incorporated into the HDL such that the HDL apo A-I content was comparable to that of the original, unmodified particles. The incorporation of lipid-free apo A-I into the HDL density range was dependent on both the presence of pre-existing HDL and an increase in their size. Thus, just as a reduction in HDL size is accompanied by the dissociation of lipid-free apo A-I, we have now shown that a subsequent increase in HDL size is accompanied by the reincorporation of lipid-free apo A-I into the particle.

Peritoneal macrophages from stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats accumulate more cholesteryl ester than do macrophages from Wistar-Kyoto rats

The intracellular cholesterol metabolism of peritoneal macrophages from stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSP) was compared to that of normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY) in order to examine the role of macrophages in the development of arterial fat deposits in the SHRSP. Scavenger receptor activity and intracellular acyl CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT) activity were significantly higher in macrophages from SHRSP compared to findings in WKY, in the presence of modified low-density lipoprotein (LDL), acetylated-LDL (Ac-LDL). Moreover, macrophages from the SHRSP accumulated more cholesteryl ester than seen in WKY in response to Ac-LDL. ACAT activity and cholesteryl ester accumulation were inhibited by specific ACAT inhibitor, HL-004, to a similar extent, in macrophages from WKY and SHRSP. These findings suggest the susceptibility of SHRSP to arterial fat deposits.

Dietary phytosterols: a review of metabolism, benefits and side effects

Most animal and human studies show that phytosterols reduce serum/or plasma total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels. Phytosterols are structurally very similar to cholesterol except that they always contain some substitutions at the C24 position on the sterol side chain. Plasma phytosterol levels in mammalian tissue are normally very low due primarily to poor absorption from the intestine and faster excretion from liver compared to cholesterol. Phytosterols are able to be metabolized in the liver into C21 bile acids via liver other than normal C24 bile acids in mammals. It is generally assumed that cholesterol reduction results directly from inhibition of cholesterol absorption through displacement of cholesterol from micelles. Structure-specific effects of individual phytosterol constituents have recently been shown where saturated phytosterols are more efficient compared to unsaturated compounds in reducing cholesterol levels. In addition, phytosterols produce a wide spectrum of therapeutic effects in animals including anti-tumour properties. Phytosterols have been shown experimentally to inhibit colon cancer development. With regard to toxicity, no obvious side effects of phytosterol have been observed in studies to date, except in individual with phytosterolemia, an inherited lipid disorder. Further characterization of the influence of various phytosterol subcomponents on lipoprotein profiles in humans is required to maximize the usefulness of this non-pharmacological approach to reduction of atherosclerosis in the population.

Overexpression of apolipoprotein E prevents development of diabetic hyperlipidemia in transgenic mice

To determine the role of apolipoprotein E (apoE) in diabetic hyperlipidemia, we induced diabetes in transgenic mice overexpressing apoE by intravenous injection of streptozotocin (STZ) and examined plasma lipoprotein metabolism in these mice. In STZ-induced diabetic mice, blood glucose levels were > 19 mmol/l (350 mg/dl) and plasma insulin levels were reduced to < 5 pmol/l (1 microU/ml). The diabetic nontransgenic mice developed hypercholesterolemia (plasma total cholesterol level: 4.55 +/- 1.32 vs. 1.97 +/- 0.13 mmol/l [176 +/- 51 vs. 76 +/- 5 mg/dl]) and hypertriglyceridemia (plasma triglyceride level: 0.82 +/- 0.29 vx. 0.42 +/- 0.11 mmol/l [73 +/- 26 vs. 37 +/- 10 mg/dl]) compared with values before induction of diabetes. In the diabetic nontransgenic mice, enhanced intestinal acylCoA:cholesterol acyltransferase activity was demonstrated, a factor that may contribute to the development of diabetic hyperlipidemia. Induction of apoE remarkably reduced the development of hyperlipidemia in diabetic transgenic mice compared with diabetic nontransgenic mice (plasma cholesterol level: 4.55 +/- 1.32 vs. 3.31 +/- 0.47 mmol/l [176 +/- 51 vs. 128 +/- 18 mg/dl], P < 0.01, and plasma triglyceride level: 0.82 +/- 0.29 vs. 0.17 +/- 0.11 mmol/l [73 +/- 26 vs. 15 +/- 10 mg/dl], P < 0.01). Plasma lipoprotein analysis by gel filtration chromatography showed that the reduction of plasma cholesterol and triglyceride levels was due to the disappearance of lipoproteins containing apoB. In these studies, we demonstrated the usefulness of STZ-induced diabetes in mice as an animal model for diabetic hyperlipidemia and demonstrated that endogenous induction of apoE in transgenic mice improved diabetic hyperlipidemia.

Oleate and other long chain fatty acids stimulate low density lipoprotein receptor activity by enhancing acyl coenzyme A:cholesterol acyltransferase activity and altering intracellular regulatory cholesterol pools in cultured cells

Modification of dietary fatty acid composition results in changes in plasma cholesterol levels in man. We examined the effect of in vitro fatty acid supplementation on low density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor activity in cultured cells and questioned whether changes were related to fatty acid-induced alterations in acyl-CoA: cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT) activity. Preincubation of cultured cells (i.e. human skin fibroblasts, J774 macrophages, and HepG2 cells) with oleic acid (oleic acid:bovine serum albumin molar ratio 2:1) at 37 degrees C for longer than 2 h resulted in a 1.2- to 1.5-fold increase in LDL cell binding at 4 degrees C and LDL cell degradation at 37 degrees C. Scatchard analysis showed that oleic acid increased LDL receptor number but not LDL affinity (Kd). Fatty acid supplementation of J774 macrophages increased both LDL receptor activity and cholesteryl ester accumulation. The ACAT inhibitor, 58-035, eliminated both effects, and increased ACAT activity preceded stimulation of LDL receptor activity by 1-2 h. Supplementation of macrophages with triolein emulsion particles also increased LDL cell binding and degradation, and addition of cholesterol to the emulsions abolished this effect. Among fatty acids tested, oleate (18:1), arachidonate (20:4), and eicosapentanoate (20:5) demonstrated the greatest effects. We hypothesize that certain fatty acids delivered to cells either in free form, or as triglyceride, first increase cellular ACAT activity, which then causes a decrease in an intracellular free cholesterol pool, signaling a need for increased LDL receptor activity. This mechanism may play a role in the effect of certain dietary fatty acids on LDL metabolism in vivo.

Differential effects of simple vs. complex carbohydrates on VLDL secretion rates and HDL metabolism in the guinea pig

Guinea pigs were fed isocaloric diets containing 52% (w/w) carbohydrate, either sucrose or starch, to investigate effects of simple vs. complex carbohydrates on plasma VLDL and HDL metabolism. Plasma cholesterol concentrations were not different between dietary groups while plasma triacylglycerol (TAG) and VLDL cholesterol levels were significantly increased in animals fed the sucrose diet (P < 0.05). Hepatic VLDL TAG secretion rates measured following intravenous injection of Triton WR-1339 were not affected by carbohydrate type whereas the rate of apo B secretion was 1.9-fold higher in sucrose fed animals (P < 0.02). Nascent VLDL from the sucrose group contained less TAG per apo B suggesting that the higher plasma TAG in animals fed simple carbohydrates results from increased secretion of VLDL particles with lower TAG content. Sucrose fed animals exhibited higher concentrations of hepatic free cholesterol (P < 0.01) while hepatic TAG levels and acyl CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT) activity were not different between groups. Plasma HDL cholesterol concentrations and composition, and plasma lecithin cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) activity were not affected by diet yet there was a positive correlation between HDL cholesteryl ester content and LCAT activities (r = 0.70, P < 0.05). Hepatic membranes from the sucrose group had a higher hepatic HDL binding protein number (Bmax) with no changes in the dissociation constant (Kd). These results suggest that at the same carbohydrate energy intake, simple sugars induce modest changes in HDL metabolism while VLDL metabolism is affected at multiple sites, as indicated by the higher concentrations of hepatic cholesterol, dissociation in the synthesis rates of VLDL components, and compositional changes in nascent and mature VLDL.

Effect of gemfibrozil treatment in hypercholesterolemia on low density lipoprotein (LDL) subclass distribution and LDL-cell interaction

Gemfibrozil, a widely used fibric acid derivative, corrects hypercholesterolemia in a non-negligible fraction of patients. To investigate the mechanism of the cholesterol-lowering activity of fibric acids, a study was performed in 12 type IIa hyperlipidemic patients treated with gemfibrozil for 12 weeks. Changes in low density lipoprotein (LDL) structure and composition, agonist capacity of LDL against the LDL-receptor in human skin fibroblasts, LDL-receptor activity in mononuclear cells, lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) and cholesterol ester transfer protein (CETP) activity, were evaluated. Plasma total and LDL cholesterol levels decreased by 17% and 20% after 12 weeks of treatment, the reduction being directly correlated with the baseline levels (r = 0.75 and 0.78, respectively). The mean LDL diameter increased significantly, from 25.5 to 26.1 nm, while the relative content of small LDL particles (< 25.1 nm) increased from 23.4% to 32.8% of total LDL. Neither the apolipoprotein (apo) B secondary structure nor the affinity of LDL for the LDL-receptor of fibroblasts were affected. The LDL-receptor activity in patients' mononuclear cells increased 3-fold, the rise being unrelated to the plasma cholesterol reduction. LCAT activity did not change, while CETP activity was reduced by 25% (P = 0.13) after treatment. These findings indicate that gemfibrozil causes significant changes in LDL structure that do not, however, affect the LDL interaction with peripheral cells.

Regulation of lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase by TGF-beta and interleukin-6

The human hepatoma derived HepG2 cells were treated with transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) or interleukin-6 (IL-6) +/- dexamethasone. The effects of treatment on lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) catalytic activity and mRNA level as well as on the apolipoprotein A-I (apo A-I) mRNA level were determined. Both the LCAT activity in medium from treated HepG2 cells and the LCAT mRNA level were decreased by TGF-beta. There was no significant effect of IL-6 +/- dexamethasone, neither on the LCAT activity nor on LCAT mRNA levels. Treatment with dexamethasone alone resulted in a decreased LCAT activity in spite of a slight increase in LCAT mRNA level. The apo A-I mRNA level was reduced after treatment with TGF-beta and increased after treatment with IL-6 +/- dexamethasone and dexamethasone alone. To analyze if the effects on mRNA levels were caused by transcriptional or post-transcriptional mechanisms, run-on experiments on isolated nuclei from treated HepG2 cells and mRNA degradation experiments were performed. The transcription rate of the LCAT gene was not affected by TGF-beta, but was increased (50-100%) after treatment with IL-6 +/- dexamethasone and dexamethasone alone. The transcription rate of the apo A-I gene was reduced (20%) by TGF-beta and increased (30-60%) by IL-6 +/- dexamethasone and dexamethasone alone. Both dexamethasone and TGF-beta increased the rate of LCAT mRNA degradation. These results show that the reduced LCAT mRNA level after treatment with TGF-beta was caused by post-transcriptional mechanisms.