Use of 3H-cholesteryl linoleyl ether for the quantitation of plasma cholesteryl ester influx into the aortic wall in hypercholesterolemic rabbits

Does therapeutic intervention achieve slowing of progression or bona fide regression of atherosclerotic lesions?

-This review focuses on the regression of atherosclerosis in humans and experimental animals. It highlights the difficulties to determine unequivocally whether with a given therapeutic intervention, such as diet, drugs, or apheresis, the progression of lesions was curtailed or bona fide regression of atherosclerotic lesions was achieved. It seems appropriate to mention that 2 very different ways to measure regression were used in experimental animals and in humans. Regression in animals was determined mainly in the aorta or coronary arteries isolated at post mortem, and the criteria used were degree of sudanophilia and/or aortic wall thickness and cellular composition or cholesterol content. In humans, the evaluation of regression relied mainly on quantitative coronary angiography. The literature of the past decade is reviewed selectively but not exhaustively, and in some instances, a brief historical overview is given.

Macrophage-conditioned medium and beta-VLDLs enhance cholesterol esterification in SMCs and HSFs by LDL receptor-mediated and other pathways

Thioglycolate-elicited mouse peritoneal macrophages were incubated for 24 hours in serum-free Dulbecco-Vogt medium containing 0.5% fatty acid-poor bovine serum albumin. This conditioned medium, designated MP medium, was used for experiments with bovine aortic smooth muscle cells (SMCs) or human skin fibroblasts (HSFs). Dulbecco-Vogt medium of the same albumin content but without macrophages served as a control medium. In SMCs labeled from plating the [3H]cholesterol and incubated with hypercholesterolemic rabbit beta-very-low-density lipoprotein (beta-VLDL) in Dulbecco-Vogt medium for 24 hours, there was an increase in cellular [3H]cholesteryl ester (CE) content compared with cells incubated without lipoprotein. When MP medium was used for the incubation of SMCs with beta-VLDL, cellular [3H]cholesteryl ester content increased threefold compared with cells incubated with Dulbecco-Vogt medium. A smaller increase in cholesterol esterification in the presence of MP medium was also encountered with low-density lipoprotein (LDL). The MP medium-induced increase in [3H]cholesterol esterification was not evident up to 6 hours of incubation. Similar results were also obtained with HSFs. The increase in [3H]cholesterol esterification with MP medium in the presence of beta-VLDL was also elicited in cells obtained from LDL receptor-negative donors with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH-HSF), even though in these cells significantly less [3H]cholesteryl ester was formed in the presence of beta-VLDL. MP medium contains numerous agents that could be responsible for the increase in cellular [3H]cholesteryl ester induced by lipoproteins. The first considered was lipoprotein lipase, but lack of inhibition of the MP medium effect by antiserum to lipoprotein lipase did not support this possibility.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Can lipoprotein lipase be the culprit in cholesteryl ester accretion in smooth muscle cells in atheroma?

Bovine aortic smooth muscle cells and human skin fibroblasts were incubated with beta-very low density lipoprotein (beta VLDL) isolated from cholesterol-fed rabbits and labeled with [3H]cholesteryl oleate. Addition of lipoprotein lipase resulted in a 3.2-4.8-fold increase in cell associated radioactivity of which 45-61% was in free cholesterol, i.e., derived after intracellular hydrolysis. After exposure of smooth muscle cells to beta VLDL for up to 9 days and 60 min sodium heparin wash at 4 degrees C to remove extracellular surface bound lipoprotein, cellular cholesterol increase was 2 micrograms in controls and in the presence of lipoprotein lipase (LPL) it was tenfold higher. Addition of [3H]cholesteryl ester labeled beta VLDL during the last 48 h of incubation showed that 30-40% of total cellular label was in free cholesterol. This value represents the minimal cellular uptake of the added lipoprotein cholesteryl ester. Addition of recombinant apolipoprotein (apo) E to smooth muscle cells incubated with beta VLDL and [3H]oleate induced no further increase in [3H]cholesteryl oleate. We propose that following LPL-mediated binding of beta VLDL to heparan sulphate, this complex either undergoes endocytosis, or translocation of cholesteryl ester into the smooth muscle cells (SMC) occurs without endocytosis of the entire particle. The present results indicate that in the aortic wall macrophage-derived lipoprotein lipase could play a role in cholesteryl ester accretion in smooth muscle cells during atherogenesis.

Autoradiographic analysis of the distribution of 125I-tyramine-cellobiose-LDL in atherosclerotic lesions of the WHHL rabbit

It is well established that plasma lipoproteins enter the artery wall and play a role in the atherogenic process. However, it is still unclear where within developing atherosclerotic lesions lipoproteins accumulate and which arterial cells participate in the metabolism of these lipoproteins. For this reason, light and electron microscopic autoradiograms were prepared from sections of lesioned aortas of Watanabe heritable hyperlipidemic (WHHL) rabbits 44 hours after injection of 125I-tyramine cellobiose-low density lipoprotein (TC-LDL). After uptake of 125I-TC-LDL and intracellular degradation of the LDL protein, the nondegradable TC ligand remains trapped and thus demarcates the cells participating in the degradation of LDL. Results of other studies indicate that 48 hours after injection into WHHL rabbits, about one half of the 125I label present in lesions represents accumulated degradation products while the remaining 125I label is present as intact 125I-TC-LDL. The distribution of autoradiographic silver grains was analyzed at low resolution in fatty streaks, transitional lesions, and advanced atheroma. In all cases, the majority of silver grains were associated with superficially located subendothelial macrophage-derived foam cells. In more advanced lesions, labeling was predominant in foam cells situated within the lateral margins of the lesions. Morphometric quantification of the distribution of silver grains in electron photomicrographs of fatty streaks from two young WHHL rabbits strongly supported the data obtained at the light microscopic level. In early fatty streaks from the aortic arch and the thoracic and abdominal aortas, subendothelial macrophage-derived foam cells contained a high proportion of the silver grains (40-60% of the total) and accounted for between 30% and 40% of the lesion volume. In contrast, smooth muscle cells in the lesions contained only 7-10% of the total silver grains and accounted for approximately 20% of the lesion volume. Endothelial cells contained the most silver grains on a per-unit-volume basis by occupying only 1-2% of the lesion volume. However, the endothelium contained less than 5% of the total grains in lesions. The remaining silver grains (25-45%) were associated with the extracellular matrix, which constituted between 40% and 50% of the lesion volume. These data indicate that in the WHHL rabbit, subendothelial macrophage-derived foam cells avidly accumulate and metabolize LDL despite having few functional LDL receptors.

Influx in vivo of low density, intermediate density, and very low density lipoproteins into aortic intimas of genetically hyperlipidemic rabbits. Roles of plasma concentrations, extent of aortic lesion, and lipoprotein particle size as determinants

To compare the atherogenic potential of low density lipoprotein (LDL), intermediate density lipoprotein (IDL), and very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) under conditions where plasma levels of these lipoproteins are elevated, the influx of cholesterol in these lipoproteins into the aortic intima was measured in vivo in genetically hyperlipidemic rabbits from the St. Thomas's Hospital strain, an animal model that shares many of the features of the human disorder familial combined hyperlipidemia. Univariate linear regression showed that the arterial influx of LDL cholesterol (n = 25), IDL cholesterol (n = 14), and VLDL cholesterol (n = 10) was positively and linearly associated with plasma concentrations of LDL cholesterol in the range 0.2-6.4 mmol/l, of IDL cholesterol in the range 0.1-7.0 mmol/l, and of VLDL cholesterol in the range 0.7-8.5 mmol/l, respectively, and also with the extent of lesions in the arterial intima in the range 0-100% of the surface area. Multiple linear regression suggested that the arterial influx of LDL, IDL, and VLDL cholesterol was linearly dependent on plasma concentration, independent of lesion size. Furthermore, it appeared that the arterial influx of the three lipoproteins was linearly dependent on the extent of the lesions, independent of lipoprotein concentration. When influx was normalized for plasma concentration (intimal clearance) and for lesion size (compared within the same aorta), the intimal clearance of the larger IDL and VLDL particles was 15-35% less than that of the smaller LDL particles. These findings suggest that the quantitatively most important mechanism for transfer of plasma lipoproteins into the arterial intima involves nonspecific molecular sieving and that at elevated plasma levels, IDL and VLDL share with LDL the potential for causing atherosclerosis.

Nuclear medicine and atherosclerosis

Although the pathomechanisms of atherosclerosis are well known, their radioisotopic monitoring is still in its early childhood. The current radioisotope techniques are of only limited value for contributing to the clinical diagnosis of atherosclerosis. The limited reaction time of cellular blood constituents (platelets, monocytes) with the vascular surface at the injury site makes it very difficult to catch the point of injury. Lipoproteins excellently allow receptor imaging, while vascular monitoring is only of scientific interest at present. Labelling and subsequent imaging of components of the coagulation cascade have not succeeded so far, nor have attempts using unspecific labels such as porphyrin, polyclonal IgG and Fc fragments, for example. Preliminary evidence indicates that radioisotopic techniques may be of great benefit in the future in elucidating functional aspects of the disease, while they do not contribute to examining the stage and extent of atherosclerosis.

Use of 3H-cholesteryl linoleyl ether as a quantitative marker for loss of cholesteryl ester during regression of cholesterol-induced aortic atheromas in rabbits

In this study, use was made of 3H-cholesteryl linoleyl ether (3H-CLE) to follow regression of aortic atheromatosis induced by feeding cholesterol to rabbits. After a 3-month induction period, the rabbits were divided into two groups with an attempt to match them by plasma cholesterol levels. They were injected with rabbit plasma labeled with 3H-CLE, and the baseline group rabbits were killed 10 to 12 days after injection. The experimental (regression) group rabbits were given rabbit chow containing 3% cholestyramine and were killed up to 330 days thereafter. Aortic 3H-CLE of both the baseline and the regression groups correlated highly with the plasma cholesterol levels at the time of injection of label. The radioactivity recovered in the aortas of the baseline and regression groups was not significantly different, indicating retention of label between day 12 and 330 days after injection. During that time, the mean aortic cholesteryl ester content decreased from 7.6 +/- 1.3 mg to 3.1 +/- 0.7 mg (p less than 0.01). The specific activity of 3H-CLE/cholesteryl ester determined in the aortic arch and the thoracic and abdominal aorta was significantly increased in all three regions examined in the regression group as compared to the baseline group. The present data show that 3H-CLE is retained in the atheromatous aorta for at least 330 days and that its use may add another dimension to the quantitative evaluation of regression of atherosclerotic lesions.

Cholesterol accumulation in aortic smooth muscle cells exposed to low density lipoproteins. Contribution of free cholesterol transfer

Incubation of cultured arterial smooth muscle cells with large concentrations of low density lipoproteins (LDL) resulted in a net increase in cell cholesterol and cholesteryl ester mass that was dependent on LDL concentration and time of incubation. Use of an inhibitor of acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyl-transferase (ACAT) reduced the accumulation of cholesteryl ester mass by 40% (range 25% to 50%), suggesting that a significant proportion of the cholesteryl ester mass that accumulated from LDL did so without being hydrolyzed and re-esterified. Quiescent arterial smooth muscle cells exposed for 48 hours to 0.5 mg/ml of 125I-LDL accumulated 115 nmol total sterol/mg cell protein. However, these cells took up and degraded only 21 micrograms of 125I-LDL protein, which contains 64 nmol total cholesterol. Hence, only about 60% of the increase in cell-associated cholesterol mass was accounted for by LDL particle uptake and degradation. Further, when cells were incubated with 3H cholesteryl linoleyl ether-labeled LDL, the net increase of total cell cholesterol was 81 nmol/mg cell protein. However, only 49 nmol of total cholesterol was taken up by LDL particle uptake, as calculated from the uptake of the 3H cholesteryl linoleyl ether tracer. It thus appears that about 40% of the accumulated cholesterol mass was derived independent of LDL particle uptake, suggesting the possibility of transfer of free cholesterol from the surface of LDL to the cell surface. The occurrence of cholesterol surface transfer was independently verified by the measurement of the uptake and cellular distribution of LDL-derived free 3H-cholesterol. A substantial fraction of the accumulated cell cholesterol mass (approximately 40%) was derived from surface transfer of LDL free cholesterol.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Reduced atherogenesis in cholesterol-fed diabetic rabbits. Giant lipoproteins do not enter the arterial wall

In cholesterol-fed rabbits, alloxan-diabetes has an anti-atherogenic effect, which is associated with severe elevation of plasma triglyceride concentrations. To study this effect, we measured lipoprotein sizes and aortic permeability coefficients for cholesteryl ester and for albumin in hypertriglyceridemic diabetic cholesterol-fed rabbits and in normotriglyceridemic cholesterol-fed rabbits. With the same high cholesterol concentration in plasma, hypertriglyceridemic diabetic rabbits had 70% of plasma cholesterol in very large lipoproteins (diameter greater than 75 nm), whereas normotriglyceridemic rabbits had only about 10% of plasma cholesterol in these giant lipoproteins. The aortic permeability coefficients for cholesteryl ester in hypertriglyceridemic diabetic cholesterol-fed rabbits was only 10% to 50% of that in normotriglyceridemic cholesterol-fed rabbits. Aortic permeability coefficients for albumin did not differ significantly between the hypertriglyceridemic and normotriglyceridemic rabbits. The results suggest that the large size of a major fraction of plasma lipoproteins in the hypertriglyceridemic diabetic cholesterol-fed rabbits is responsible for the relatively low aortic permeability coefficient for cholesteryl ester from plasma and hence for reduced atherogenesis in these animals.

Long-term effects of verapamil on aortic smooth muscle cells cultured in the presence of hypercholesterolemic serum

Smooth muscle cells derived from rabbit and bovine aorta were cultured for up to 5 weeks in the presence of d less than 1.019 g/ml fraction of hypercholesterolemic rabbit serum. When this fraction was added to serum containing culture medium, there was a significant increase in DNA, protein, and cholesteryl ester per dish. Addition of 50 microM verapamil markedly reduced the stimulatory effect of the d less than 1.019 g/ml fraction on both DNA and protein content per dish. The effect of verapamil on cholesteryl ester content was more complex: there was an increase within the first week, but later the net accumulation of cholesteryl ester per dish was lower than in untreated dishes. The recovery of less DNA in verapamil-treated dishes was not due to increased cell loss, as evidenced by retention of a residualizing marker, 3H-cholesteryl linoleyl ether. Moreover, verapamil did reduce incorporation of 3H-thymidine into DNA. In verapamil-treated dishes, there was flattening and a cobblestone appearance of the cells. A hypothesis is proposed to explain the inhibitory effect of verapamil on the development of atheroma formation in cholesterol-fed rabbits: Assuming that macrophages play an active role in cholesteryl ester removal from atheroma, verapamil, which reduces lysosomal cholesteryl ester hydrolysis in macrophages, would permit the lipid-laden macrophage to remove more cholesteryl ester per cell from the arterial wall. In addition, the presently reported results support the possibility that verapamil may impede the development of atheroma formation by reduction of smooth muscle cell proliferation.

Radioiodinated Cholesteryl lopanoate as a Potential Probe for the in Vivo Visualization of Atherosclerotic Lesions in Animals

Radioiodinated cholesteryl iopanoate, a nonhydrolyzable cholesteryl ester probe, showed increased uptake into atherosclerotic aortas of cholesterol-fed rabbits in comparison with normal rabbits. Auto-radiography of the aortas showed the radioactivity to be concentrated in areas of visible atherosclerotic involvement. Lipid extraction and thin-layer chromatography of this tissue as well as liver, adrenal, and plasma confirmed the resistance of this probe to hydrolysis. These findings suggest that (125)I-cholesteryl iopanoate may prove useful for noninvasively monitoring atherosclerosis in intact laboratory animals.

Influx, efflux, and hydrolysis of cholesteryl ester in atheromatous lesions of cholesterol-fed rabbits

Total plasma lipoproteins were labeled with radioactive cholesteryl ester or cholesteryl ether by transfer of these lipids from phosphatidylcholine vesicles in the presence of plasma lipid transfer activity. Intravenous injection of these preparations into hypercholesterolemic rabbits showed disappearance curves identical to those of in vivo labeled lipoproteins. Disappearance of cholesteryl ester and ether were similar during the first 24 hours, but they diverged at later time intervals, indicating recirculation of labeled cholesteryl ester. Lipoproteins labeled with cholesteryl ether were injected at 25 days, 7 days and 1 day before sacrifice of the rabbits. The maximal loss of labeled ether from the aortas during a 24-hour period ranged from 1.6% to 8.9% of the labeled ether taken up from plasma. Hydrolysis of cholesteryl ester by the artery during 24 hours averaged 35% of the calculated cholesteryl ester influx. After hydrolysis, cholesteryl ester fatty acid appeared to be esterified more rapidly than the cholesterol moiety of the cholesteryl ester.

Cholesteryl ester efflux from extracellular and cellular elements of the arterial wall. Model systems in culture with cholesteryl linoleyl ether

Cholesteryl ester (CE) accretion in human atheroma is a slow process during which lipoproteins infiltrate the arterial extracellular space and then gain entry into the cellular components. The present aim was to simulate this process in model systems in culture to learn whether cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) may promote CE efflux at different stages of atheroma formation. To simulate CE efflux from arterial interstitium, cationized LDL labeled with 3H-cholesteryl linoleyl ether (3H-CLE) was added to fixed aortic smooth muscle cells (SMC) or to extracellular matrix. To study efflux of 3H-CLE taken up by cells via receptor-mediated endocytosis of LDL, the SMC cultures were fixed and permeabilized prior to the determination of CE efflux. The cellular model included macrophages, which had ingested acetylated LDL labeled with 3H-CLE. Efflux of 3H-CLE and 14C-CE was studied during postincubation of the labeled cultures with human lipoprotein deficient serum (LPDS) or partially purified CETP. As controls, we used SMC cultures incubated with albumin. In all systems, a 3- to 12-fold increase of 3H-CLE or 14C-CE efflux was found in the postincubation medium containing human LPDS or partially purified CETP when compared to controls. Permeabilization of the cells with saponin enhanced cellular 3H-CLE and 14C-CE efflux in the presence of human LPDS. The findings indicate that CETP may promote CE efflux from aortic interstitium or disintegrating cells. We propose that CETP may play an important role in aortic CE homeostasis under physiological and pathological conditions.

Effect of 17 beta estradiol on aortic cholesterol content and metabolism in cholesterol-fed rabbits

Administration of estrogen to cholesterol-fed rabbits dramatically retarded arterial lesion development despite its lack of effect on plasma cholesterol concentration and on lipoprotein patterns. Cholesteryl ester influx into the aortic wall was also much lower in the estrogen-treated animals and paralleled the aortic cholesterol content in treated and untreated animals; the fraction of aortic cholesteryl ester lost by efflux was the same in treated and untreated animals. The fraction of newly entered cholesteryl ester hydrolyzed by aorta was significantly reduced in the estrogen-treated animals. Low cholesteryl ester influx and relatively less hydrolysis of cholesteryl ester by the aorta may be indicative of reduced internalization of plasma cholesteryl ester by aortic cells, which may in turn account for the reduced atherogenesis in the estrogen-treated rabbits.

In vivo influx of free and esterified plasma cholesterol into human aortic tissue without atherosclerotic lesions

In order to determine the in vivo influx of plasma cholesterol into human aortic intimamedia tissue, specimens of the ascending aortic wall without visible atherosclerosis were obtained from patients undergoing aortic valve replacement. Before the operation the patients were intravenously injected with autologous plasma in which the lipoproteins were labeled with radioactive cholesterol. The influence of the duration of the exposure time (0.3-114 h) and of the distribution of radioactivity between free and esterified cholesterol in plasma on the amount of radioactivity found in the arterial wall was studied by the simultaneous use of 3H- and 14C-cholesterol. It was shown that the influx of free and esterified cholesterol into the intima-media layer of the tissue could be calculated from a set of linear equations that relate the labeled sterols in the tissue to the average specific activities in plasma. In nine patients between 50 and 70 yr of age with 4.2-5.9 mM total cholesterol in plasma, the influx of free cholesterol and of esterified cholesterol was 1.2-8.8 and 1.0-12.5 nmol X cm-2 X d-1, respectively. Both hydrolysis and esterification of the sterol fractions in the aortic tissue and exchange of free cholesterol between the plasma lipoproteins and the tissue were demonstrated. The cholesterol content of the intima-media layer was 0.6-2.3 mumol X cm-2. This corresponds to the influx of esterified cholesterol during a period of only 0.1-3.5 yr, which is short compared with the lifespan of the patient. Our data thus suggest that removal of esterified cholesterol from aortic tissue without visible atherosclerosis represents a major importance for the cholesterol concentration in the tissue.

Lipoprotein lipase mediated uptake of non-degradable ether analogues of phosphatidylcholine and cholesteryl ester by cultured cells

Lipoprotein lipase mediated transfer of cholesteryl ester and its ether analog, cholesteryl linoleyl ether, from unilamellar liposomes, prepared from a nonhydrolyzable ether analog of 1,2-diacyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (PC), 1,2-dioleyl ether-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOEPC), was studied in various cells in culture. It was found that lipoprotein lipase enhanced the uptake of cholesteryl linoleyl ether and of DOEPC. These findings provided a definitive proof that hydrolysis of liposomal PC is not needed for the lipoprotein lipase catalyzed transfer of cholesteryl linoleyl ether and cholesteryl ester to cells. The lipids transferred by lipoprotein lipase to cells were localized in three compartments, trypsin-releasable, resistant and metabolic; the latter was a chloroquine-sensitive pool as evidenced by inhibition of cholesteryl ester hydrolysis. Labeled PC and, to a lesser extent DOEPC, in the trypsin-releasable pool was able to return to the medium, while cholesteryl linoleyl ether and cholesteryl ester required cholesteryl ester transfer protein for release. The transfer of cholesteryl linoleyl ether and cholesteryl ester into a trypsin-resistant compartment did not require metabolic energy and occurred also in formaldehyde-fixed cells. Metabolic energy was needed for the translocation of cholesteryl linoleyl ether and cholesteryl ester into the lysosomal compartment, presumably by a process of endocytosis. The physiological relevance of the present findings is that as intravascular hydrolysis of triacylglycerol-rich lipoproteins is mediated by lipoprotein lipase attached to endothelial cells, the latter can provide a very extensive surface for removal and metabolism of phospholipids and cholesteryl ester by a mechanism mediated by lipoprotein lipase.

No effect of nifedipine on atherogenesis in cholesterol-fed rabbits

It was recently reported that the calcium antagonist nifedipine suppresses aortic cholesterol accumulation in cholesterol-fed rabbits without reducing hypercholesterolemia. We extended this study on plasma lipoprotein levels and aortic influx of cholesteryl ester. We gave 40 mg per day of nifedipine orally to 17 rabbits fed a 2% cholesterol diet for 8 weeks. For the same period of time 15 control rabbits received placebo capsules and the same diet. During the study, total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, and VLDL cholesterol concentrations in plasma were not significantly different in the experimental and control animals. At the end of the study we found no difference in the two groups in accumulation of cholesterol in the intima media of the proximal thoracic aorta, the distal thoracic aorta, and the corresponding media layers. Furthermore, aortic influx of free cholesterol, cholesteryl ester, and albumin from plasma measured by radioactive tracers was not significantly affected by nifedipine.

Metabolism of liposomes prepared from a labelled ether analog of 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine in the rat

To synthesize the ether analog of 1,2-diacyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (PC), 1-O-cis-9'- octadecenyl -2-O-cis-9'-[9',10'(n)-3H] ocatadecenyl -sn-glycero-3- phosphocholine, we have adapted available methodology and have obtained a product of high specific activity and purity. The labelled dioleyl ether phosphatidylcholine ( DOEPC ) was used to prepare 250-350 A unilamellar liposomes, which contained also PC and free cholesterol. Following intravenous injection into rats, labelled PC was cleared from the plasma at a faster rate than DOEPC . The uptake of both labelled compounds by the liver increased up to 3 h, at which time there was about 40% of injected PC and 60% of DOEPC . The PC disappeared more rapidly than the DOEPC , so that 17 and 48% of injected label were present in the liver 24 h after injection of PC and DOEPC , respectively. Ten days after injection of DOEPC , about 10% of the label was still present in the liver. During the first 5 days after injection of DOEPC , 10% of radioactivity was found in the gastrointestinal tract and about 20% in the carcass; no increase in carcass radioactivity occurred during the loss of label from the liver. 24 and 48 h after injection of DOEPC , 40% of liver radioactivity was present in a neutral lipid, which on TLC comigrated with triacylglycerol. Since after alkaline hydrolysis this compound comigrated with diacylglycerol, it appears that the ether bond of DOEPC was not hydrolyzed, but after removal of phosphocholine, presumably by phospholipase C, the diether glycerol was reacylated . In experiments in vitro, the rate of exchange of labelled PC with red blood cell phospholipids exceeded that of DOEPC . Incubation of cultured hepatocytes with liposomes containing PC and/or DOEPC resulted in uptake of both phospholipids and metabolism of DOEPC to neutral lipids. The present findings indicate that DOEPC undergoes slow metabolism and can be eliminated from the body. These properties could prove advantageous for the use of DOEPC as a carrier of drugs and possibly as a carrier of free cholesterol in reverse cholesterol transport.

In vitro metabolism of LDL labeled with a nondegradable cholesteryl ester analogue

Low density lipoprotein (LDL) metabolism by human skin fibroblasts was studied using LDL labeled in the neutral lipid fraction with a nonhydrolysable cholesteryl ester analogue 3H-cholesteryl linoleyl ether (3H-CLE-LDL). LDL uptake could be quantitated accurately using 3H-CLE-LDL, since the label accumulated intracellularly due to its resistance to hydrolysis. 3H-CLE-LDL was taken up via apo B,E receptor-mediated endocytosis in a manner similar to 125I-labeled LDL. This was demonstrated by similar rates of uptake of the two differently labeled LDL preparations, saturation kinetics of uptake with respect to 3H-CLE-LDL concentration, regulation of 3H-CLE-LDL uptake by procedures that up-regulate or down-regulate the number of apo B,E receptors, and negligible uptake of 3H-CLE-LDL by receptor-negative cell strains. The major difference between the handling of 125I-LDL and 3H-CLE-LDL was the finding that, while the amount of trypsin-releasable (surface) 3H-CLE increased progressively over a 24-hour experimental period, trypsin-releasable 125I-LDL reached a maximum within 30 minutes. After 24 hours of incubation, the 3H radioactivity released by brief trypsinization was three to four times higher than could be accounted for by 125I radioactivity released by a similar treatment. Possible reasons for this behavior are discussed.

Comparison of various methods for in vitro cholesteryl ester labeling of lipoproteins from hypercholesterolemic rabbits

Little or no information is available on biologically valid labeling of hypercholesterolemic plasma lipoproteins with cholesteryl ester. The esterification of labeled unesterified cholesterol in hypercholesterolemic rabbit plasma by the lecithin: cholesterol acyltransferase reaction is inefficient. The use of the d greater than 1.063 plasma fraction for this reaction greatly improves the efficiency, but some labeled unesterified cholesterol remains in the end products. The latter disadvantage can be avoided by the addition to whole plasma of labeled cholesteryl ester dissolved in DMSO or acetone. However, in hypercholesterolemic rabbit plasma only a small fraction of the added cholesteryl ester was associated with lipoproteins. When phosphatidylcholine/cholesteryl ester liposomes were incubated with hypercholesterolemic rabbit plasma for 18-24 h at 37 degrees C the labeled cholesteryl ester was quantitatively incorporated into lipoproteins. Chylomicron-like, cholesteryl ester-rich particles were removed by centrifugation (10(6) g X min) and the subsequently isolated d less than 1.019 and d = 1.019-1.063 (LDL) fractions were injected intravenously into normal and hypercholesterolemic rabbits. The disappearance of d less than 1.019 and LDL cholesteryl ester and the appearance of cholesteryl ester in other lipoprotein fractions was indistinguishable from that of in vivo-labeled lipoproteins. In vivo and in vitro cholesteryl ester-labeled lipoproteins were also compared by measuring the exchangeability of their cholesteryl ester with HDL cholesteryl ester in vitro. Equal exchangeability of the two labels was observed in the d less than 1.019 fraction from which the chylomicron-like particles had been removed. These findings demonstrate that when cholesteryl ester is incorporated by the liposome procedure, the distribution of labeled cholesteryl ester within the lipoprotein complex corresponds closely to that of the in vivo-incorporated labeled cholesteryl ester.

Dissociation of tissue uptake of cholesterol ester from that of apoprotein A-I of rat plasma high density lipoprotein: selective delivery of cholesterol ester to liver, adrenal, and gonad

The metabolic fate of homologous high density lipoprotein (HDL) was studied in the rat, tracing the apoprotein A-I (apo A-I) and cholesterol ester moieties simultaneously. The apo A-I was labeled with covalently linked 125I-labeled tyramine cellobiose, which accumulates in the cells degrading the apoprotein; [3H]cholesterol ethers, which cannot be hydrolyzed or mobilized after uptake, were incorporated into the lipid core of reconstituted HDL to reflect the fate of the cholesterol esters. Several lines of evidence, including direct comparison with biologically labeled HDL, are presented to support the validity of this approach. The liver was the major organ of cholesterol ether uptake, accounting for 65% of the total; the adrenal gland and ovary were the most active organs per gram (wet) of weight. Uptake of cholesterol ether was 7-fold greater than that of apo A-I in adrenal, 4-fold greater in the ovary, and greater than 2-fold greater in the liver. The remaining tissues took up apo A-I and cholesterol ethers at more nearly equal rates. Transfer of HDL-associated cholesterol ethers and 125I-labeled apo A-I to other lipoprotein fractions was not observed; thus, the results reflect direct uptake from HDL itself. Whereas uptake of low density lipoprotein appears to involve endocytosis of intact particles, uptake of HDL in at least some rat tissues involves additional, more complex, transfer mechanisms.

Metabolism of HDL-cholesteryl ester in the rat, studied with a nonhydrolyzable analog, cholesteryl linoleyl ether

Intralipid was sonicated with [3H]cholesteryl linoleyl ether (a nonhydrolyzable analog of cholesteryl linoleate) and incubated with rat HDL and d greater than 1.21 fraction of rabbit serum at a ratio of 0.012 mg triacylglycerol to 1 mg HDL protein. 25% of [3H]cholesteryl linoleyl ether was transferred to HDL. The labeled HDL was injected into donor rats and was screened for 4 h. [125I]HDL was subjected to the same protocol as the 3H-labeled HDL, including screening. The screened, labeled sera were injected into acceptor rats and the disappearance of radioactivity from the circulation was compared. The t1/2 in the circulation of [125I]HDL was about 10.5 h, while that of [3H]cholesteryl linoleyl ether-HDL was about 8 h. The liver and carcass were the major sites of uptake of [3H]cholesteryl linoleyl ether-HDL and accounted for 29-41% (liver) and 30% (carcass) of the injected label. Maximal recovery of [3H]cholesteryl linoleyl ether in the liver was seen 48 h after injection, and thereafter there was a progressive decline of radioactivity, which reached 7.8% after 28 days. The maximal recovery of [125I]HDL in the liver was about 9%. Pretreatment of the acceptor rats with estradiol for 5 days resulted in a 20% increase in the hepatic uptake of [3H]cholesteryl linoleyl ether-HDL and a 5-fold increase in adrenal uptake. The present findings indicate that in the rat the liver is the major site of uptake of HDL cholesteryl ester and that part of the HDL cholesteryl ester may be cleared from the circulation separately from the protein moiety. On the basis of our previous findings (Stein, Y., Kleinman Y, Halperin, G., and Stein, O. (1983) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 750, 300-305) the loss of the [3H]cholesteryl linoleyl ether from the liver after 14-28 days was interpreted to indicate that the labeled [3H]cholesteryl linoleyl ether had been taken up by hepatocytes.

Hepatic retention and elimination of cholesteryl linoleyl ether after injection of labeled acetylated LDL or chylomicrons

Rat mesenteric duct chylomicrons labeled with [3H]cholesteryl linoleyl ether and human acetylated low density lipoproteins labeled with [14C]cholesteryl linoleyl ether were injected simultaneously into rats. 3 h after injection 80-90% of the injected radioactivity were recovered in the liver and the ratio of 3H/14C in the liver was the same as in the injected material. The 3H/14C ratio declined gradually over a period of 18 days due to loss of [3H]cholesteryl ether which had been injected with the chylomicrons, and retention of the same compound injected bound to acetylated LDL. The loss from the liver of the chylomicron-bound cholesteryl linoleyl ether was shown to occur through the bile, and its elimination from the body was verified by monitoring fecal excretion. The present results provide evidence that hepatic persistence of a nonhydrolyzable analog of cholesteryl ester is a function of the cell type which has ingested the lipid. Thus, the uptake of labeled chylomicrons by hepatocytes results in a slow but progressive excretion of the nonhydrolyzable lipid through the bile, while the preferential uptake of acetylated LDL by nonparenchymal cells of liver and by the spleen leads to persistence of the lipid in the organ.