HDLs in apoA-I transgenic Abca1 knockout mice are remodeled normally in plasma but are hypercatabolized by the kidney

Thomas L. Smith,Ji-Young Lee,Yiwen Zhu,Edward M. Rubin,Perry L. Colvin,John S. Parks,Jeffrey W. Chisholm,Jenelle M. Timmins,Anny Mulya

doi:10.1194/jlr.m500179-jlr200

Abstract

Patients homozygous for Tangier disease have a near absence of plasma HDL as a result of mutations in ABCA1 and hypercatabolize normal HDL particles. To determine the relationship between ABCA1 expression and HDL catabolism, we investigated intravascular remodeling, plasma clearance, and organ-specific uptake of HDL in mice expressing the human apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I) transgene in the Abca1 knockout background. Small HDL particles (7.5 nm), radiolabeled with (125)I-tyramine cellobiose, were injected into recipient mice to quantify plasma turnover and the organ uptake of tracer. Small HDL tracer was remodeled to 8.2 nm diameter particles within 5 min in human apolipoprotein A-I transgenic (hA-I(Tg)) mice (control) and knockout mice. Decay of tracer from plasma was 1.6-fold more rapid in knockout mice (P < 0.05) and kidney uptake was twice that of controls, with no difference in liver uptake. We also observed 2-fold greater hepatic expression of ABCA1 protein in hA-I(Tg) mice compared with nontransgenic mice, suggesting that overexpression of human apoA-I stabilized hepatic ABCA1 protein in vivo. We conclude that ABCA1 is not required for in vivo remodeling of small HDLs to larger HDL subfractions and that the hypercatabolism of normal HDL particles in knockout mice is attributable to a selective catabolism of HDL apoA-I by the kidney.

Highlights

Patients homozygous for Tangier disease have a near absence of plasma HDL as a result of mutations in ABCA1 and hypercatabolize normal HDL particles
For more than two decades, it has been known that mature, spherical plasma HDL particles are hypercatabolized in subjects with Tangier disease compared with normal individuals and that the more rapid catabolism is independent of HDL pool size [20, 22]
In mice expressing human apolipoprotein A-I transgenic (hA-ITg), we found a significantly faster catabolism of plasma HDL in mice lacking ABCA1 compared with mice expressing ABCA1

Summary

Introduction

Patients homozygous for Tangier disease have a near absence of plasma HDL as a result of mutations in ABCA1 and hypercatabolize normal HDL particles. To determine the relationship between ABCA1 expression and HDL catabolism, we investigated intravascular remodeling, plasma clearance, and organ-specific uptake of HDL in mice expressing the human apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I) transgene in the Abca knockout background. Small HDL particles (7.5 nm), radiolabeled with 125I-tyramine cellobiose, were injected into recipient mice to quantify plasma turnover and the organ uptake of tracer. Small HDL tracer was remodeled to 8.2 nm diameter particles within 5 min in human apolipoprotein A-I transgenic (hA-ITg) mice (control) and knockout mice. We conclude that ABCA1 is not required for in vivo remodeling of small HDLs to larger HDL subfractions and that the hypercatabolism of normal HDL particles in knockout mice is attributable to a selective catabolism of HDL apoA-I by the kidney.—Lee, J-Y., J. HDLs in apoA-I transgenic Abca knockout mice are remodeled normally in plasma but are hypercatabolized by the kidney.

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