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Studies of the mechanism of the increased biosynthesis of cholestanol in cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis. The activity of delta 5-3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase.

It was recently proposed that the increased biosynthesis of cholestanol in cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis (CTX) is due to increased activity of the delta 5-3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase involved in bile acid biosynthesis, causing increased conversion of cholesterol into cholestanol through 4-cholesten-3-one. Our attempts to confirm this hypothesis have failed. Liver biopsy specimens from two patients with CTX did not have any increased capacity to catalyze conversion of 7 alpha-hydroxycholesterol into 7 alpha-hydroxy-4-cholesten-3-one. Further, we did not find any changes in the activity of liver microsomal delta 5-3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase after feeding rabbits with cholestanol or cholesterol. The findings are discussed in relation to our hypothesis that the accelerated biosynthesis of cholestanol in CTX is due to an increased conversion of early bile acid intermediates into cholestanol.

3-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenases↗

Influence of cholesterol oxidation derivatives on membrane bound enzymes in cultured aortic smooth muscle cells.

Cholestane-3 beta, 5 alpha, 6 beta-triol and 25-hydroxycholesterol are two of the most cytotoxic and also relatively abundant of the autoxidation derivatives of cholesterol. Cultured aortic smooth muscle cells which were incubated with 10 micrograms/ml of either sterol for 24 to 48 hr showed a marked decrease of 5'-nucleotidase activity in isolated crude membranes. It was further demonstrated that 5'-nucleotidase activity was also markedly decreased in plasma membrane-enriched fractions when cells were incubated with cholestane-3 beta,5 alpha,6 beta-triol. Na+,K+-ATPase activity in crude membranes showed a significant decrease (32%) only in cells incubated with cholestane-3 beta,5 alpha,6 beta-triol for 48 hr. There was no effect on Na+,K+-ATPase activity in cells incubated for 24 hr with either sterol.

5'-Nucleotidase↗

Effect of 3,3'-iminodiproprionitrile (IDPN) on corticosteroidogenesis of isolated adrenocortical cells.

The neurotoxic agent, 3,3'-iminodiproprionitrile (IDPN), is a disrupter of neurofilament- and intermediate filament-organelle association. In the present study, the effect of IDPN on corticosteroidogenesis was investigated using isolated rat (having few intermediate filaments) and domestic fowl (having abundant intermediate filaments) adrenocortical cells. Cells were incubated with or without steroidogenic agents and precursors and with or without various concentrations of IDPN for 2 hr. IDPN had similar inhibitory potencies (as indicated by the half-maximal inhibitor concentrations (ID50 values] with both rat and domestic fowl cells despite their grossly different intermediate filament content. However, the average ID50 values of IDPN varied with the different steroidogenic agents and precursors used. The average IDPN ID50 values for maximal ACTH- and 8-bromo-cyclic AMP (8-Br-cAMP)-induced corticosterone production were equivalent (49.7 and 45.7 mM, respectively). However, the IDPN ID50 values for maximal ACTH-induced cAMP production, maximal 25-hydroxycholesterol- and pregnenolone-supported corticosterone production, and maximal ACTH- and 8-Br-cAMP-induced protein synthesis varied from 3.7 to 5.4 times the average ID50 values for maximal ACTH- and 8-Br-cAMP-induced corticosterone production. Thus, the inhibitory action of IDPN was not closely linked to the inhibition of ACTH-transmembrane signaling via cAMP, protein synthesis, and steroidogenic enzyme activity. The data suggest that IDPN inhibited corticosteroidogenesis at at a step after cAMP but before cholesterol side-chain cleavage and that the inhibition was not dependent on the presence of intermediate filaments.

8-Bromo Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate↗

Effect of deposited lipids in atheromatous lesions on the migration of vascular smooth muscle cells.

In advanced atherosclerotic lesions, a decrease in smooth muscle cells is observed in the cap tissue. This causes the thinning of the cap, and may lead to plaque rupture. We studied the effect of deposited lipids on the migration of vascular smooth muscle cells, and identified the main cause of the effect. The lipids were extracted from atherosclerotic lesions in the human aorta at autopsy, and separated into three fractions with a Sep-Pak ODS cartridge. Then, each fraction was added to the lower part of a chemotaxis chamber, and cultured vascular smooth muscle cells to the upper part. After 4 hours incubation, the cells that had migrated to the opposite side were counted. The oxysterol-rich fraction (10 microg/ml) inhibited the migration, whereas the cholesterol ester and free cholesterol fractions did not. Finally, we tested the pure oxysterols, 7-ketocholesterol and 27-hydroxycholesterol. Both inhibited migration, whereas the free cholesterol and cholesterol ester did not. Oxysterols generated in the lipid pool might inhibit the migration of smooth muscle cells.

Arteriosclerosis↗

Structure and functions of human oxysterol 7alpha-hydroxylase cDNAs and gene CYP7B1.

Oxysterol 7alpha-hydroxylase has broad substrate specificity for sterol metabolites and may be involved in many metabolic processes including bile acid synthesis and neurosteroid metabolism. The cloned human oxysterol 7alpha-hydroxylase (CYP7B1) cDNA encodes a polypeptide of 506 amino acid residues that shares 40% sequence identity to human cholesterol 7alpha-hydroxylase (CYP7A1), the rate-limiting enzyme in the conversion of cholesterol to bile acids in the liver. In contrast to the liver-specific expression of CYP7A1, CYP7B1 mRNA transcripts were detected in human tissues involved in steroid genesis (brain, testes, ovary, and prostate) and in bile acid synthesis (liver) and reabsorption (colon, kidney, and small intestine). The human oxysterol 7alpha-hydroxylase transiently expressed in 293/T cells was able to catalyze 7alpha-hydroxylation of 27-hydroxycholesterol and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). The human CYP7A1 and CYP7B1 both contain six exons and five introns. However, CYP7B1 spans at least 65 kb of the genome and is about 6-fold longer than CYP7A1. The transcription start site (+1) was localized 204 bp upstream of the initiation codon. No TATA box-like sequence was found near the transcription start site. Transient transfection assays of CYP7B1 promoter/luciferase reporter constructs in HepG2 cells revealed that the promoter was highly active. The 5' upstream region from nt -83 to +189 is the core promoter of the gene.

Animals↗

Regulation of endoplasmic reticulum cholesterol by plasma membrane cholesterol.

The abundance of cell cholesterol is governed by multiple regulatory proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) which, in turn, are under the control of the cholesterol in that organelle. But how does ER cholesterol reflect cell (mostly plasma membrane) cholesterol? We have systematically quantitated this relationship for the first time. We found that ER cholesterol in resting human fibroblasts comprised approximately 0.5% of the cell total. The ER pool rose by more than 10-fold in less than 1 h as cell cholesterol was increased by approximately 50% from below to above its physiological value. The curve describing the dependence of ER on plasma membrane cholesterol had a J shape. Its vertex was at the ambient level of cell cholesterol and thus could correspond to a threshold. A variety of class 2 amphiphiles (e.g., U18666A) rapidly reduced ER cholesterol but caused only minor alterations in the J-curve. In contrast, brief exposure of cells to the oxysterol, 25-hydroxycholesterol, elevated and linearized the J-curve, increasing ER cholesterol at all values of cell cholesterol. This finding can explain the rapid action of oxysterols on cholesterol homeostasis. Other functions have also been observed to depend acutely on the level of plasma membrane cholesterol near its physiological level, perhaps reflecting a cholesterol-dependent structural or organizational transition in the bilayer. Such a physical transition could serve as a set-point above which excess plasma membrane cholesterol is transported to the ER where it would signal regulatory proteins to down-regulate its further accumulation.

2-Hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin↗

Contribution of steroidogenic factor 1 to the regulation of cholesterol synthesis.

Steroidogenic factor 1 (SF-1) is an orphan member of the nuclear receptor family expressed in steroidogenic tissues, where it has an essential role in the regulation of the steroid hormone biosynthesis, adrenal and gonadal development and endocrine responses fundamental for reproduction. Here we show that SF-1 regulates the transcription of cytosolic 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA (HMG-CoA) synthase gene, which is essential for the endogenous synthesis of cholesterol. We have identified an element located 365 bp upstream of the gene for cytosolic HMG-CoA synthase; SF-1 binds as a monomer to this element and confers SF-1 responsiveness to homologous and heterologous promoters. It has been shown that in tissues with a high demand for cholesterol to be used in steroid synthesis, there is a lack of correlation between the cholesterol levels and the activity of the limiting enzymes of the mevalonate pathway. In accord with those results, we observed that cholesterol synthesis from acetate and either cytosolic HMG-CoA mRNA expression or transcriptional activity were not changed in response to 25-hydroxycholesterol in the SF-1-expressing steroidogenic Leydig tumour MA-10 cells. Moreover, the overexpression of SF-1 in non-steroidogenic CV-1 cells renders them less sensitive to the regulatory effects of cholesterol. This observation led to the hypothesis that in steroidogenic tissues the expression of SF-1 permits high levels of endogenous synthesis of cholesterol irrespective of the intracellular levels of this metabolite.

Animals↗

Melatonin inhibits the expression of steroidogenic acute regulatory protein and steroidogenesis in MA-10 cells.

The effects of melatonin on steroidogenesis and steroidogenic acute regulatory (StAR) protein expression were investigated in MA-10 mouse Leydig tumor cells. MA-10 cells were treated with human chorionic gonadotropin/cyclic adenosine monophosphate (hCG/cAMP) analogue alone or with hCG/cAMP analogue plus melatonin in different dosages (0.1 nM to 10 microM). Steroid production and the expression of StAR protein were measured. Melatonin directly inhibited hCG- or dbcAMP-stimulated progesterone production in MA-10 cells within 3 hours. The inhibitory effects of melatonin on hCG- or dbcAMP-stimulated steroid production in MA-10 cells were abolished by a comparative melatonin receptor antagonist, luzindole. 22R-hydroxycholesterol reversed melatonin's inhibitory effects, which illustrated that melatonin did not suppress P450scc enzyme activity. Moreover, StAR protein expression stimulated by hCG and dbcAMP was maximally reduced by 10 nM of melatonin treatment for 3 hours. The effects of prolonged exposure (12 h) to melatonin with dbcAMP stimulation in MA-10 cells were also examined. The expression of StAR protein and steroid production were reduced by melatonin concentrations from 1 nM to 10 microM. However, melatonin at a dose of 1 nM had no effect in 3-hour treatment. Our results indicate that melatonin suppressed MA-10 mouse Leydig cell steroidogenesis through specific binding sites by blocking StAR protein expression without altering the activity of P450scc enzyme.

Animals↗

Binding and uptake of chylomicron remnants by primary and THP-1 human monocyte-derived macrophages: determination of binding proteins.

The binding and uptake of chylomicron remnants by human macrophages was studied in order to resolve paradoxical observations that have described the putative mechanisms by which postprandial lipoproteins induce foam cell formation. Chylomicron remnants bound to human monocyte-derived macrophages (HMMs) and to the transformed monocytic cell line THP-1 with high affinity (Kd of approx. 5.5 microg of chylomicron remnant protein/ml). Binding was found to be saturable for both cell types, and was strongly inhibited in the presence of unlabelled chylomicron remnants. Ligand blot studies with colloidal-gold-labelled chylomicron remnants identified two cell surface binding sites on both HMMs and THP-1 cells, with molecular masses of approx. 128 kDa and 43 kDa. The high-molecular-mass binding site was found to be the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor, based on the strong inhibition of chylomicron remnant binding in the presence of unlabelled LDL, Fab2 antibody fragments to the LDL receptor or calcium chelators. Competition studies suggested that, in HMMs, the LDL receptor appeared to facilitate approximately half of the total chylomicron remnant uptake. In contrast, the LDL receptor was not significantly involved in macrophage uptake of chylomicron remnants by THP-1 cells. The identity of the 43 kDa binding site is presently unknown, but, importantly, expression was not inhibited as a consequence of sterol loading, which was induced by incubating HMMs and THP-1 cells with 25-hydroxycholesterol. In contrast, the expression of the LDL receptor was substantially attenuated following lipid loading. Collectively, our data suggest that, while the macrophage LDL receptor can bind chylomicron remnants and facilitate uptake in non-lipid-loaded HMMs, other sterol-insensitive sites are responsible for the unabated uptake of chylomicron remnants by macrophages. We propose that the 43 kDa macrophage chylomicron remnant binding protein may be a candidate for the sterol loading of macrophages.

Animals↗

Arachidonate metabolism and the signaling pathway of induction of apoptosis by oxidized LDL/oxysterol.

Owing at least in part to oxysterol components that can induce apoptosis, oxidized LDL (oxLDL) is cytotoxic to mammalian cells with receptors that can internalize it. Vascular cells possess such receptors, and it appears that the apoptotic response of vascular cells to the oxysterols borne by oxLDL is an important part of the atherogenic effects of oxLDL. Thus, an analysis of the signaling pathway of apoptotic induction by oxysterols is of value in understanding the development of atherosclerotic plaque. In a prior study, we demonstrated an induction of calcium ion flux into cells treated with 25-hydroxycholesterol (25-OHC) and showed that this response is essential for 25-OHC-induced apoptosis. One possible signal transduction pathway initiated by calcium ion fluxes is the activation of cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2). In the current study, we demonstrate that activation of cPLA2 does occur in both macrophages and fibroblasts treated with 25-OHC or oxLDL. Activation is evidenced by 25-OHC-induced relocalization of cPLA2 to the nuclear envelope and arachidonic acid release. Loss of cPLA2 activity, either through genetic knockout in mice, or by treatment with a cPLA2 inhibitor, results in an attenuation of arachidonic acid release as well as of the apoptotic response to oxLDL in peritoneal macrophages or to 25-OHC in cultured fibroblast and macrophage cell lines.

Animals↗

Oxysterols suppress constitutive fibrinogen expression.

Elevated levels of both fibrinogen and cholesterol are risk factors in coronary artery disease. Previously we reported a metabolic link between fibrinogen and lipid metabolism in that HepG2 cells that were programmed by transfection of Bbeta-fibrinogen cDNA to overexpress fibrinogen exhibited increased synthesis of cholesterol and increased secretion of apolipoprotein B. In this study we demonstrate that oxysterols, which participate in maintaining cholesterol homeostasis, also down regulate fibrinogen expression. Treatment of HepG2 cells with 25-hydroxycholesterol lowered fibrinogen Aalpha, Bbeta and gamma mRNA levels and inhibited fibrinogen synthesis and secretion but had no effect on alpha1 -antitrypsin which, like fibrinogen, is an acute-phase protein. The inhibition of fibrinogen synthesis by oxysterols was maintained in interleukin-6 treated cells. Other oxysterols, that inhibit cholesterol synthesis by a feedback mechanism, also diminished fibrinogen expression in HepG2, rat H-4-II-E hepatoma cells and in primary human hepatocytes. Overexpression of SREBP-1 and SREBP-2 by transfection of HepG2 cells, or treatment with a synthetic LXRalpha agonist, which affect cholesterol metabolism, did not affect fibrinogen expression. We conclude that fibrinogen and cholesterol may share a novel common regulatory pathway.

Acute-Phase Reaction↗

7-ketocholesterol stimulates differentiation of lens epithelial cells.

PURPOSE: To establish if oxysterols stimulate differentiation of lens epithelial cells (LEC). METHODS: Primary cultures of lens epithelial cells were incubated with 7-ketocholesterol (7-keto), 25-hydroxycholesterol (25-OH) or cholesterol at 10 microg/ml for 10 days. Cells incubated with 100 ng/ml basic fibroblast growth factor (b-FGF) were used as positive controls for differentiation. The expression of the differentiation marker p57KIP2, proliferation marker PCNA (Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen) and fibers specific proteins gamma-crystallin, CP49, MIP26 following treatment with oxysterols was determined by western blot. Differentiation into fiber cells was further confirmed by counting the number of lentoid bodies formed following incubation with 7-keto. RESULTS: LEC incubated with 7-keto presented higher levels of p57KIP2 and showed expression of fiber specific proteins such as MIP26 and CP49, compared to cells incubated with 25-OH or cholesterol. The differentiation marker p57KIP2 increased over time for cells incubated with 7-keto while there was a decline on the amount of the proliferation marker PCNA. The expression of the fiber specific proteins gamma-crystallin, MIP26 and CP49 was detected after 5 days of incubation with 7-keto. Differentiation was accompanied by a seven-fold increase in the number of lentoid bodies formed. CONCLUSIONS: Results show for the first time that 7-keto inhibits proliferation and stimulates differentiation of lens epithelial cells into fiber cells. The presence of 7-keto in the lens may disrupt the highly regulated differentiation program of LEC, compromising normal lens growth and transparency.

Animals↗

[Concentration of the oxygenated derivates of cholesterol in pregnant women suffering from diabetes type I].

Free-radical peroxidation of cholesterol results in, among others, another products of its oxidation, called oxysterols. Scientists are still more and more interested in oxysterols, because, like the products of polyunsaturated fatty acids, show a strong biological activity, which effects physiology, pathology and pharmacology. The aim of the work was to investigate whether pre-pregnancy diabetes effects cholesterol oxidation process studied on the basis of the concentration of the chosen oxysterols. The chosen oxysterols were determined in 45 patients suffering from diabetes for various time period before pregnancy (diabetes type according to White from B to R) and in a control group (n = 27). Oxysterols (7-ketocholesterol, 7 alpha and 7 alpha-hydroxycholesterols and the sum of 5 alpha, 6 alpha and 5 beta, 6 beta-epoxycholesterols) were determined by thin-layer chromatography with densitometric detection according to the methodology which had been developed in the Chemical Department, the Silesian Medical Academy. The analysis scheme included plasma sample hydrolysis and lipid extraction, oxysterol fraction isolation by solid phase extraction (SPE), separation and identification of individual sterols by TLC technique, and densitometric quantitative analysis of the cholesterol oxidized derivatives mentioned above. We found statistically considerable differences between the concentrations of epoxycholesterol sum and 7-ketocholesterol in both groups, and the concentration was higher in the control group. While analysing the concentrations of the investigated parameters in diabetic pregnant women in II and III trimester we found a statistically considerable increase in oxysterol concentration in III trimester, compared to II trimester. The authors suggest that during complicated diabetic pregnancy the cholesterol oxidation process becomes more intensive, particularly in III trimester, compared to II trimester, both in normal pregnant women and in type I diabetic pregnant women as well.

Biomarkers↗

Oxidized LDL upregulated ATP binding cassette transporter-1 in THP-1 macrophages.

AIM: To study the effect of oxidized low density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) on ATP binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1) in THP-1 macrophages. METHODS: After exposing the cultured THP-1 macrophages to ox-LDL for different periods, cholesterol efflux was determined by FJ-2107P type liquid scintillator. ABCA1 mRNA and protein level were determined by reverse trancriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot, respectively. The cholesterol level in THP-1 macrophage foam cells was detected by high performance liquid chromatography. RESULTS: ox-LDL elevated ABCA1 in both protein and mRNA levels and increased apolipoprotein (apo) A-I-mediated cholesterol efflux in a time- and dose-dependent manner. 22(R)-hydroxycholesterol and 9-cis-retinoic acid did significantly increase cholesterol efflux in THP-1 macrophage foam cells (P<0.05), respectively. Both of them further promoted cholesterol efflux (P<0.01). As expected, liver X receptor (LXR) agonist decreased content of esterified cholesterol in the macrophage foam cells compared with control, whereas only a slight decrease of free cholesterol was observed. LXR activity was slightly increased by oxidized LDL by 12 % at 12 h compared with 6 h. However, LXR activity was increased about 1.8 times at 24 h, and oxidized LDL further increased LXR activity by about 2.6 times at 48 h. CONCLUSION: ABCA1 gene expression was markedly increased in cholesterol-loaded cells as a result of activation of LXR/RXR. ABCA1 plays an important role in the homeostasis of cholesterol in the macrophages.

ATP Binding Cassette Transporter 1↗

Isolation and characterization of Chinese hamster ovary cells defective in the intracellular metabolism of low density lipoprotein-derived cholesterol.

We have isolated clones of an established cell line which express defects in intracellular cholesterol metabolism. Chinese hamster ovary cells were mutagenized, and clones unable to mobilize low density lipoprotein (LDL)-derived cholesterol to the plasma membrane were selected. Biochemical analysis of two mutant clones revealed a phenotype characteristic of the lysosomal storage disease, Niemann-Pick type C. The mutant cell lines were found to be defective in the regulatory responses elicited by LDL-derived cholesterol. LDL-mediated stimulation of cholesterol esterification was grossly defective, and LDL suppression of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase was impaired. However, the mutants modulated these activities normally in response to 25-hydroxycholesterol or mevalonate. The LDL-specific defects were predicated by the inability of these mutants to mobilize LDL-derived cholesterol from lysosomes. Cell fractionation studies showed that LDL-derived, unesterified cholesterol accumulated in the lysosomes of mutant cells to significantly higher levels than normal, commensurate with defective movement of cholesterol to other cellular membranes. Characterization of cell lines defective in intracellular cholesterol transport will facilitate identification of the gene(s) required for intracellular cholesterol movement and regulation.

Amphotericin B↗

A cluster of cholesterol-related genes confers susceptibility for Alzheimer's disease.

OBJECTIVE: Polygenic diseases are related to the complex interplay of genetic variations. We evaluated whether clusters of cholesterol- and lipid-related genetic variations are associated with Alzheimer's disease. METHOD: We analyzed 12 cholesterol-related single nucleotide polymorphisms and 48 control polymorphisms in 545 study participants (Alzheimer's disease group N = 284; control group N = 261). Diagnoses of Alzheimer's disease were made according to the NINCDS-ADRDA criteria. Multi-locus genetic association analysis was done with the set-association method. Dates of data collection were from January 2000 to December 2003. RESULTS: We identified a cluster of polymorphisms in APOE, SOAT1, APOE 5'-untranslated region, OLR1, CYP46A1, LPL, LIPA, and APOA4 conferring significant (p = .0002) susceptibility for Alzheimer's disease. This gene cluster reached a diagnostic accuracy of 74% and correlated significantly (p = .018) with the levels of the brain cholesterol catabolite 24S-hydroxycholesterol in the cerebrospinal fluid. CONCLUSION: Our results establish a novel approach for the identification of disease-related genetic clusters and demonstrate the need for multi-locus methods in the genetics of complex diseases.

Aged↗

Liver X receptor and retinoic X receptor agonists modulate the expression of genes involved in lipid metabolism in human endothelial cells.

The cooperation of liver X receptors (LXRs) alpha and beta, and retinoic X receptor (RXR) modulate the expression of several genes involved in lipid metabolism in hepatocyte and macrophages. Using cDNA microarray technology, we have shown previously that several of these genes are also expressed in endothelial cells. In the present study, we investigated whether the activation of LXR and RXR affects the expression of genes involved in lipid metabolism in human endothelial cells. Relative expression of ABCA-1, CETP, SR-B1, EL, LPL, PLTP, ApoE and LDLR was investigated in HUVECs, human fibroblasts (hFB) and HepG2 cells by quantitative real-time PCR. For CETP and EL mRNA expression, the results were HUVECs > hFB > HEPG2; for PLTP, LDLR and LPL: hFB > HUVECs > HEPG2; for SR-B1 and ApoE: HEPG2 > HUVECs > hFB; and for ABCA-1 HEPG2: > hFB > HUVECs. Incubation of HUVECs with LXR agonists as 22-(R)-hydroxycholesterol (22-(R)-HC) or T0901317-induced ABCA1 (20.1- and 17.8-fold), LPL (3.46- and 7.03-fold) and CETP (6.34- and 3.98-fold) expression; EL, LDLR and SR-B1 expression was induced only upon incubation with T0901317 (2.40-, 2.83- and 2.19-fold, respectively) while 22-(R)-HC had no effect on EL and SR-B1 expression (0.8- and 0.9-fold) and decreased LDLR expression (0.4-fold). No effect of either 22-(R)-HC or T0901317 on PLTP and ApoE expression was observed. The RXR agonist, 9-cis retinoic acid (9CRA) alone induced the expression of CETP, LPL and SR-B1 (2.8-, 8.2- and 2.4-fold). No effect of 9CRA on ABCA-1, EL, PLTP, ApoE, and LDLR expression was observed. Association of 9CRA with 22-(R)-HC or T0901317 increased the expression of CETP and LPL while no effect on ABCA-1 or LDLR was observed. Activation of LXRs and RXRs in endothelial cells represents a new target of LXR and RXR agonist in the arterial wall. Modulation of gene expression in the endothelium should be taken into account when studying the effects of LXR and RXR agonists on lipid metabolism in the arterial wall.

ATP Binding Cassette Transporter 1↗

Cytochrome P-450 of adrenal mitochondria. In vitro and in vivo changes in spin states.

Steroid-induced difference spectra have been used to examine the combination of cholesterol with adrenal mitochondrial cytochrome P-450 which participates in cholesterol side chain cleavage (P-450scc) and the depletion of cholesterol from the cytochrome which results from turnover of the enzyme system. Type I difference spectra-induced by cholest-5-ene-3beta, 25-diol (25-hydroxycholesterol) and cholest-5-ene-3beta, 20 alpha, 22R-triol (20alpha, 22R dihydroxycholesterol) have been used to quantitate binding of cholesterol to two sites (I and II) on cytochrome P-450scc. The action of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) in vivo and the action of calcium or phosphate ions on isolated mitochondria stimulate the combination of cholesterol with site I but not site II. Cholesterol derived from lecithin-cholesterol micelles, however, binds to both sites. Malate-induced cholesterol depletion occurred at a comparable rate to the transfer of cholesterol from lecithin-cholesterol micelles. However, a residual proportion of cholesterol-cytochrome P-450scc complexes remained, even after 10 min of exposure to malate, and was of similar magnitude in mitochondria from both cycloheximide-treated and stressed rats. It is suggested that this reflects a less reactive form of cholesterol-cytochrome complex. Steroid-induced difference spectra indicate that sites I and II on cytochrome P-450scc are similarly depleted after metabolism of mitochondrial cholesterol in vitro and after inhibition of the action of ACTH in vivo. Anaerobiosis of adrenal cells after excision of the accumulation of cholesterol at cytochrome P-450cc. When anaerobiosis was prevented, cytochrome P-450scc in the freshly isolated mitochondria was apparently essentially free of complexed cholesterol, irrespective of the extent of ACTH action. For 30 min after suspension of the mitochondria in 0.25 M sucrose at 4 degrees, cholesterol combines with cytochrome P-450scc. The extent of this process was not affected by the presence of cycloheximide during ether stress treatment of the rats. It is concluded that there are at least two pools of mitochondrial cholesterol with access to cytochrome P-450scc but that ACTH stimulates only the pool which most readily interacts with the cytochrome.

Adrenal Glands↗