An investigation of the role of lecithin: cholesterol acyltransferase and triglyceride-rich lipoproteins in the metabolism of pre-beta high density lipoproteins

Abstract

Small high density lipoproteins (HDL) with pre-beta electrophoretic mobility (pre-beta HDL) have recently been shown to be the primary acceptor of cholesterol from cultured cells. We studied the metabolism of these particles by incubating serum at 37°C in the presence and absence of active lecithin: cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT). We found that the serum pre-beta HDL concentration decreased in the presence of LCAT, but when LCAT was inhibited the concentration remained constant, or increased, depending on the method of inhibition. This suggests that pre-beta HDL are a substrate for LCAT. We also found a significant negative correlation between levels of LCAT activity and pre-beta HDL in 28 fasting healthy subjects, this provides evidence that the activity of LCAT regulates, at least in part the concentration of these particles in vivo. During the early phase of incubation there was a more rapid decrease in pre-beta HDL concentration which was greater in the post-prandial than fasting state. When we infused a triglyceride emulsion into 6 subjects or added this to serum in vitro we observed an immediate fall in pre-beta HDL concentration. These findings suggest that pre-beta HDL interact with triglyceride rich particles. We investigated the origin of pre-beta HDL from blood lipoproteins during their lipolysis, in vivo and in vitro and found that they were produced from both triglyceride-rich and high-density lipoproteins. Formation from triglyceride-rich lipoproteins was evident by the rise in pre-beta HDL concentration during heparin-induced lipolysis when fasting and post-prandially. The rise was greater post-prandially and particularly marked in 4 hypertriglyceridaemic patients following a fat load. Generation from alpha-HDL was evident when we prolonged the action of the heparin-released lipases by incubation of post-heparin sera at 37°C. Continued formation of pre-beta HDL occurred at an equal rate in the fasting and post-prandial samples suggesting release by lipolysis of alpha-HDL. This was supported by the action of lipases on serum and isolated HDL in vitro, where triglyceride lipase rather than phospholipase activity appeared more effective at releasing pre-beta HDL. These findings suggest binding and release of pre-beta HDL by triglyceride-rich lipoproteins depending on the prandial state and production from alpha-HDL through the action of lipases.