Journal of Lipid Research, Vol 29, 299-308, Copyright © 1988 by Lipid Research, Inc.
Effects of chylomicron remnants and beta-VLDL on the class and composition of newly secreted lipoproteins by HepG2 cells
WY Craig and AD Cooper
Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, CA 94305.
The regulation of lipoprotein secretion in the cell line HepG2 was studied.
HepG2 cells were preincubated with chylomicron remnants (triglyceride- and
cholesterol-rich) or with beta very low density lipoproteins (beta-VLDL)
(cholesterol-rich). The medium was removed and the cells were incubated for
and additional 24 hr in a lipoprotein-free medium that contained either
[2-3H]glycerol or DL-[2-3H]mevalonate. Cells and media were harvested, and
lipoproteins were separated and fractionated. The mass and radioactivity of
the lipids in cells and in the lipoproteins were measured. The activities
of cellular acyl- CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT) and
3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA (HMG-CoA) reductase were also determined.
Preincubation with chylomicron remnants induced an increase in cellular
triglyceride and stimulated both HMG-CoA reductase and ACAT. Preincubation
with beta- VLDL induced an increase in cellular free and esterified
cholesterol, inhibited HMG-CoA reductase and stimulated ACAT. Although the
absolute amount of VLDL is small, chylomicron remnants induced large
relative increases in the amount of triglyceride and phospholipid secreted
in VLDL and decreases in the amount of triglyceride secreted in low density
(LDL) and high density (HDL) lipoproteins as well as a decrease in the
amount of phospholipid secreted in HDL. In contrast, preincubation with
beta-VLDL did not affect triglyceride secretion, but markedly stimulated
the amount of phospholipid secreted in HDL. Comparison of the mass of
glycerolipid actually secreted with that calculated from the cellular
specific activity suggested that glycerolipids are secreted from single,
rapidly equilibrating pools. Cholesterol and cholesteryl ester secretion
were affected differently. Preincubation with chylomicron remnants
increased the amount of free cholesterol secreted in both VLDL and LDL, but
did not alter cholesteryl ester secretion. Preincubation with beta-VLDL
increased free cholesterol secretion in all lipoprotein fractions and
increased cholesteryl ester secretion in VLDL and LDL, but not HDL.
Comparison of isotope and mass data suggested that the cholesteryl ester
secreted came primarily from a preformed, rather than an newly synthesized,
pool. In summary, these data provide insight to the mechanism whereby a
liver cell regulates the deposition of exogenous lipid.