Immunochemical methods for studying lipoprotein structure

Low density lipoprotein-receptors in primary cultures of rat glial cells

Newborn rat glial cells in primary culture contain an active cholesterol side chain cleavage cytochrome P450. Cholesterol can be supplied either by biosynthesis or derive from low density lipoproteins (LDL), which bind apolipoprotein Band E (apoB,E) (LDL)-receptors and undergo receptor-mediated endocytosis. Using antibodies to purified human plasma LDL and antibodies to bovine adreno-cortical LDL-receptor, the presence of LDL-receptors was demonstrated on rat glial cells after 3-4 weeks of primary culture, by ligand blotting, immunoblotting, and indirect immunofluorescence staining. The latter approach indicated that oligodendrocytes express higher levels of LDL-receptors than astrocytes present in the same culture. The immunofluorescence staining was observed not only at the cell surface, but also within the cytoplasm, suggesting that the LDL-receptor complexes had been internalized. Western blotting of LDL-receptors extracted from glial cells indicated a band of approximately 130 kDa, the size expected for intact receptors. Their functionality was shown by the conversion of [3H]cholesterol linoleate, incorporated into reconstituted LDL and added to the cell cultures, to [3H]pregnenolone and/or its 20 alpha-hydroxy-metabolite. This is the first characterization of functional LDL-receptors on isolated, well characterized, normal brain cells.

A high carbohydrate-fat free diet alters the proportion of heparin-bound VLDL in plasma and the expression of VLDL-apoB-100 epitopes

High carbohydrate-fat free diets (CHO-diet) induce the secretion of increased numbers of very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) particles and alter the composition and metabolism of VLDL. The aims of this study were to examine VLDL in greater detail, specifically to document any CHO-diet-induced alterations of apolipoprotein B-100 (apoB-100) epitope expression of VLDL, and any changes induced in subclasses of VLDL, as defined by heparin Sepharose chromatography. Fifteen normolipidemic subjects participated in the study by eating a basal typical American diet for 7 days and high carbohydrate diet (85% carbohydrate, less than 1% fat) for another 7 days. The sequence was changed in seven subjects. Fasting blood samples were analyzed for lipoprotein lipid and apoprotein concentrations. Heparin affinity VLDL subclasses were characterized chemically and electrophoretically [sodium dodecylsulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE)]. Immunoreactivities of apoB in VLDL were tested in solid phase competitive-binding radioimmunoassays (RIAs) using five monoclonal anti-B antibodies that react with defined epitopes of apoB-100. The CHO diet produced consistent increases of plasma triglycerides in all subjects by a mean of 66% and decreases in plasma cholesterol by 18%. ApoB in plasma decreased by 21% and apoA-I by 17%; however, apoE and ApoA-II did not change. VLDL was enriched with triglycerides (55.0% +/- 0.8 v 57.0% +/- 0.7, P less than .05) and apoE (3.7% +/- 0.5 to 5.9% +/- 0.7, P less than .007) and the ratio between apoE and apoC in VLDL increased (0.15 +/- 0.03 to 0.25 +/- 0.03, P less than .002).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)