Macrophage cholesterol balance. A potential site of genetic control of susceptibility to atherosclerosis.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to M A Leight.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
In a previous study we demonstrated that isocaloric substitution of fish oil (FO) for lard in the diet of cynomolgus monkeys resulted in low density lipoproteins (LDL) that were poorer competitors for binding of a standard 125I-labeled LDL and led to less cholesteryl ester accumulation in skin fibroblasts (Linga, V., et al. 1993. J. Lipid Res. 34: 769-778). The decreased binding and cholesteryl ester accumulation by FO LDL appeared related to the LDL apolipoprotein E (apoE) content. We hypothesized that FO LDL had reduced binding to skin fibroblasts due to a decrease in receptor active apoE. To test this hypothesis and determine the relative contribution of apoE versus apolipoprotein B (apoB) in binding of LDL to skin fibroblasts, LDL from cynomolgus monkeys fed lard or FO-containing diets were isolated, characterized, radioiodinated, and tested for binding in the absence or presence of a 10-fold molar excess of monoclonal antibody to the receptor binding domain of apoE (1D7) or apoB-100 (MB47). FO LDL were smaller, contained less apoE (E/B molar ratio = 0.48 +/- 0.03 vs. 1.85 +/- 0.22; P < 0.001), and had a weaker binding affinity (Kd = 11.3 +/- 1.6 vs. 3.8 +/- 0.80 microgram/ml; P < 0.01) compared to the lard counterparts. Furthermore, the apoE/B molar ratio of LDL appeared inversely related to the Kd for binding to skin fibroblasts. Incubation of LDL with skin fibroblasts in the presence of a 10-fold molar excess of monoclonal antibody directed at the receptor binding domain of apoB-100 (MB47) eliminated 96 +/- 3% of binding of FO LDL, but eliminated only 43 +/- 18% of binding for lard LDL. Incubation with a 10-fold molar excess of monoclonal antibody to the receptor-binding domain of apoE (1D7) eliminated only 23 +/- 6% of FO LDL binding to fibroblasts relative to a no-antibody control, but for lard LDL 44 +/- 11% of binding to fibroblasts was eliminated. Both antibodies together blocked all binding of LDL from both diet groups. In a fluid phase precipitation assay > 75% of the LDL particles from both diet groups was precipitated with saturating amounts of MB47, indicating that the proportion of LDL particles expressing this epitope was the same for both diet groups. The same assay using 1D7 showed approximately 4-fold greater precipitation of LDL in the lard versus FO group.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Dietary fish oil (FO) has been reported to increase low density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor function resulting in lower plasma LDL concentrations in the rat (Ventura et al. J. Clin. Invest. 84: 528-537, 1989). The purpose of this study was to determine whether dietary FO, as compared to lard, affected the receptor-mediated uptake of LDL by cultured skin fibroblasts. Plasma LDL was isolated by combined ultracentrifugation and column chromatography from cynomolgus monkeys fed diets enriched in FO or lard and the effect of these two dietary fats on the binding of LDL and esterified cholesterol (EC) accumulation by cultured fibroblasts was determined. There was no difference in total plasma or LDL cholesterol concentrations between diet groups. The monkeys fed FO had significantly smaller LDL which, on average, contained less protein, phospholipid (PL), and free and esterified cholesterol compared to the LDL from monkeys fed the lard diet. FO LDL were less effective than lard LDL in competing for binding, internalization, and degradation of a standard 125I-labeled LDL by fibroblasts (11.0 +/- 2.4 vs. 3.0 +/- 0.8 micrograms LDL protein/ml for 50% displacement of binding, respectively; P = 0.013). FO versus lard LDL also resulted in less accumulation of cellular EC after a 24-h incubation with fibroblasts (7.7 +/- 0.2 vs. 13.0 +/- 0.4 micrograms EC/mg protein, respectively; P = 0.0001). In general, cellular EC accumulation was proportional to LDL particle size and LDL apoE/B molar ratio; however, LDL from the lard group resulted in greater EC accumulation even when LDL particle size and apoE content were nearly equivalent between diet groups. When LDL were isolated from the same animals by sequential ultracentrifugation, the lard LDL apoE was reduced 22% compared to column isolated LDL and this resulted in a 32% decrease in cellular EC accumulation. However, for FO LDL, apoE content was reduced 34% by sequential ultracentrifugation but this only resulted in a 10% decrease in EC accumulation. These results suggested that lard LDL contained more receptor-active apoE than FO LDL. We conclude that isocaloric substitution of fish oil for lard in the diet of cynomolgus monkeys results in LDL particles that bind less avidly to LDL receptors and in less EC accumulation in fibroblasts. The decreased binding of LDL from the FO group appears related to their decreased size and CE content as well as the decreased content of receptor-active apoE relative to the lard group.
The mass efflux of free and esterified cholesterol was studied in skin fibroblasts loaded with cholesterol by incubation with low density lipoproteins (LDL) isolated from normal or hypercholesterolemic cynomolgus monkeys. Cells incubated with hypercholesterolemic LDL accumulated 2-3 times more cholesteryl ester than did cells incubated with the same amount of normal LDL. Cholesteryl oleate was the principal cholesteryl ester species to accumulate in cells incubated with both normal and hypercholesterolemic LDL. Efflux of this accumulated cholesterol was absolutely dependent on the presence of a cholesterol acceptor in the culture medium. Lipoprotein-deficient serum (LPDS) was the most potent promoter of cholesterol efflux tested, with maximum efflux occurring at LPDS concentrations greater than 1.5 mg protein/ml. Upon addition of efflux medium containing LPDS, there was a reduction in both the free and esterified cholesterol concentration of the cells. Greater than 90% of the cholesteryl esters that were lost from the cells appeared in the culture medium as free cholesterol, indicating that hydrolysis of cholesteryl esters preceded efflux. Efflux was not inhibited by chloroquine, however, suggesting a mechanism independent of lysosomes. Loss of cellular free cholesterol was maximum by 6 hr and changed very little thereafter up to 72 hr. Cholesteryl ester loss from cells decreased in a log linear fashion for efflux periods of 6-72 hr, with an average half-life for cholesteryl ester efflux of 30 hr, but with a range of 20-50 hr, depending upon the specific cell line. The rate of efflux of cellular cholesteryl esters was similar for cells loaded with normal or hypercholesterolemic LDL. In cells loaded with cholesteryl esters, cholesterol synthesis was suppressed and cholesterol esterification and fatty acid synthesis were enhanced. During efflux, cholesterol synthesis remained maximally suppressed while cholesterol esterification decreased for the first 24 hr of efflux, then plateaued at a level approximately 5-fold higher than control levels, while fatty acid synthesis was slightly stimulated. There was little difference in the rate of efflux of individual cholesteryl ester species. There was, however, the suggestion that reesterification of cholesterol principally to palmitic acid occurred during efflux. Since the rate of cellular cholesteryl ester efflux was similar regardless of whether the cells had been loaded with cholesterol by incubation with normal LDL or hypercholesterolemic LDL, the greater accumulation of cholesterol in cells incubated with hypercholesterolemic LDL cannot be explained by differences in rates of efflux.-St. Clair, R. W., and M. A. Leight. Cholesterol efflux from cells enriched with cholesteryl esters by incubation with hypercholesterolemic monkey low density lipoprotein.
Whole serum obtained from hypercholesterolemic rhesus monkeys was found to stimulate cholesterol esterification and cholesteryl ester accumulation in rhesus monkey arterial smooth muscle cells in culture to a significantly greater extent than normocholesterolemic serum. This was true even when the cholesterol concentration of the culture medium was equalized. Isolation and characterzation of the low density lipoproteins (LDL) from rhesus monkeys indicated that the LDL from hypercholesterolemic animals was 33% larger than LDL from normocholesterolemic animals due principally to an increase in the amount of cholesteryl ester per molecule. As a result, LDL from hypercholesterolemic animals transported over 50% more cholesterol per molecule than did normal LDL. The LDL of altered composition from hypercholesterolemic animals, when added to smooth muscle cells in culture, was nearly twice as effective in stimulating cholesterol esterification and cholesteryl ester accumulation than was LDL of normal composition. Results suggest that at least part of the exaggerated ability of whole hypercholesterolemic serum to stimulate the esterification and accumulation of cholesterol in cells in culture is due to the presence of LDL of altered composition.
Aortic smooth muscle cells from atherosclerosis-susceptible White Carneau (WC) pigeons lack a functional low density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor pathway. The purpose of the present study was to determine if atherosclerosis-resistant Show Racer pigeons (SR) shared this lack of an LDL receptor pathway and if LDL from normal and hypercholesterolemic pigeons were metabolized similarly. The amount of LDL bound, internalized, and degraded by skin fibroblasts, embryo fibroblasts, and aortic smooth muscle cells from WC and SR pigeons were similar and averaged from 2% to 25% of that seen with monkey smooth muscle cells incubated with the same LDL. LDL uptake by pigeon cells was due largely to nonspecific processes, while specific uptake predominated in monkey cells. A similar lack of specific uptake was obtained with LDL from normal and hypercholesterolemic pigeons. Sterol synthesis and HMG-CoA reductase activity were 10- to 35-fold higher in pigeon cells than in monkey cells incubated in serum-containing medium. LDL had little effect on cholesterol esterification and cholesteryl ester accumulation in pigeon cells. These results indicate that despite major changes in the size and composition of LDL from hypercholesterolemic pigeons, this LDL, like normal pigeon and monkey LDL, was not metabolized by specific uptake processes by pigeon cells. Cells from both WC and SR pigeons lack a functional LDL receptor pathway.