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Previous studies have shown that lipid transfer protein (LTP) activity is strongly temperature dependent, demonstrating a dramatic rise in activity near 37 degrees C. We have investigated the origin of this rapid rise in LTP activity. LTP-mediated transfers of radiolabeled cholesteryl ester (CE) from LDL to HDL, HDL to LDL, LDL to biotin-LDL, HDL to biotin-HDL, and between liposomes were determined as a function of assay temperature. Only assays containing LDL demonstrated this rapid rise in CE transfer activity. In contrast, TG transfer was almost linear with assay temperature. As human LDL CE undergoes a thermal phase transition near 37 degrees C, we investigated whether the rapid rise in CE transfer was dependent on this transition. Monkey LDL were isolated from animals consuming diets containing cholesterol and enriched in saturated, monounsaturated, or polyunsaturated fatty acids. With these LDL as substrate, the CE transfer between 21 degrees and 49 degrees C could be described by two straight lines, the intersection of which defined the inflection temperature. Among eight LDL samples, the inflection temperature was highly correlated with the CE phase transition determined by differential scanning calorimetry (r2 = 0.86). Both calorimetry and CE transfer activity inflection values were correlated with the saturated + monoene/polyene ratio of the LDL cholesteryl esters (r2 = 0.733 and 0.612, respectively). For LDL with inflection temperatures below 37 degrees C, CE transfer activity at 37 degrees C increased 10-14% for each 1 degree C decrease in the inflection temperature. We conclude that LTP activity is markedly affected by the physical state of the core CE. Diets rich in saturated fatty acids may result in LDL that are poor LTP substrates, which may hinder LTP's ability to promote normal lipoprotein remodeling.

Lipid transfer inhibitor protein (LTIP) activity has been typically quantitated by its ability to suppress lipid transfer protein-mediated lipid movement between low density lipoprotein (LDL) and high density lipoprotein (HDL). In an attempt to establish an LTIP activity assay that is more sensitive, we have exploited the reported preference of the inhibitor protein to interact with LDL. A lipid transfer assay was established that involves LDL as both the donor and the acceptor; LDL in one of these two pools was biotinylated to facilitate its removal with immobilized avidin. Compared to the standard LDL to HDL assay, LTIP inhibited lipid transfer from radiolabeled LDL to biotin-LDL 7-fold more. In the absence of LTIP, lipid transfer activity was the same in both assays. An added benefit of this assay was the near linearity (up to 85%) of the inhibitory response, in contrast to the highly curvilinear response of LTIP in LDL to HDL transfer assays. The high sensitivity of the LDL to biotin-LDL transfer assay in measuring LTIP activity could not be duplicated by other transfer assays including assays containing only HDL (HDL to biotin-HDL), assays between liposomes and LDL, or assays between LDL and HDL where the concentration of lipoproteins was reduced 10-fold. Thus, LTIP activity is most effectively measured in homologous lipid transfer assays involving only LDL (and its biotin derivative). This increased sensitivity to LTIP suggests that the inhibitor binds more avidly to the LDL surface than does lipid transfer protein.

Lipid transfer protein (LTP) remodels plasma lipoproteins by promoting mass transfers of cholesteryl ester (CE) and triglyceride between lipoproteins. We have investigated the capacity of an additional plasma protein, lipid transfer inhibitor protein (LTIP) to modify the functional activity of LTP in a complex mixture of lipoproteins. Transfer assays containing isolated LTP, LTIP, and the three major lipoprotein classes, and assays with intact human plasma supplemented with exogenous LTIP were used. In both assays, the inhibition of CE transfer by LTIP varied markedly depending on the lipoproteins involved and was dependent on LTIP concentration. Inhibition of lipid transfer between a given pair of lipoproteins was similar. However, between lipoprotein pairs the extent of inhibition was very different, varying up to 7-fold. Inhibition followed the order of very low density lipoprotein (VLDL)-low density lipoprotein (LDL) transfers > LDL-high density lipoprotein (HDL) transfers > VLDL-HDL transfers. Consistent with the preferential inhibition of transfer events involving LDL, LTIP was shown by gel filtration studies to associate primarily with LDL in plasma. The addition of LTIP to native plasma stimulated the LTP-mediated efflux of CE from HDL to VLDL; this occurred at the expense of LDL CE depletion. Thus, LTIP alters the pattern of lipid transfer reactions in plasma by uniquely affecting the individual transfer events mediated by LTP. By preferentially diminishing transfer events involving LDL, especially those between VLDL and LDL, LTIP enhances the ability of LTP to remove CE from HDL, and thus alters HDL metabolism.

A lipoprotein particle designated A-LDL, which contains apolipoprotein B (apoB) and which is the size of plasma low density lipoproteins (LDL), was isolated from homogenates of human aortic athersclerotic plaques by a combination of affinity chromatography and gel-filtration. Compared to plasma LDL, A-LDL was more electronegative, its hydrated density was lower and more heterogeneous, and its protein-to-lipid ratio was lower. In addition, apoB in A-LDL was highly degraded, and A-LDL was recognized by mouse peritoneal macrophages (MPM) as indicated by its ability to stimulate cholesterol esterification. Cholesterol esterification was saturable with an apparent Km of 100 micrograms of A-LDL cholesterol/ml. Stimulation of cholesterol esterification was linear with time, leading to extensive accumulation of cholesteryl ester in MPM over a 48-hr time interval. The uptake or degradation of acetyl-LDL (radiolabeled either in the protein with 125I or hydrophobic core with [3H]cholesteryl ether) was markedly decreased by excess unlabeled acetyl-LDL but not by A-LDL, and excess acetyl-LDL did not inhibit the uptake or degradation of labeled A-LDL. However, a 10-fold excess of A-LDL also failed to inhibit the uptake of labeled A-LDL. This finding was consistent with the observation that, unlike the saturable stimulation of cholesterol esterification in MPM induced by A-LDL, the uptake of cholesteryl ether-labeled A-LDL was almost linear over a 0-400 micrograms cholesterol/ml range. This discrepancy between dose response curves for A-LDL, which did not occur for acetyl-LDL, could be eliminated by a 24-hr postincubation period in the absence of lipoprotein, suggesting that A-LDL is catabolized less efficiently than acetyl-LDL following internalization. In summary, we conclude that A-LDL uptake by MPM occurs via a low affinity-high capacity process. Although the uptake of A-LDL is not readily saturated, it is of sufficient affinity to lead to lipid loading of macrophages even when A-LDL is present at relatively low concentrations. If these mechanisms are operative in vivo, they could explain how foam cells in human fatty streak lesions develop.

This study investigates the ability of human plasma-derived lipid transfer protein to facilitate lipid transfer to and from intact viable cells in culture. Mouse peritoneal macrophages or J774 macrophages were preincubated with acetylated low density lipoprotein and [3H]oleate/albumin to promote the intracellular synthesis and accumulation of cholesteryl [3H]oleate and 3H-labeled triglyceride. The addition of partially purified lipid transfer protein to cultures of lipid-loaded macrophages resulted in a time and concentration-dependent transfer of radiolabeled cholesteryl ester and triglyceride from macrophages to the medium. At 48 hr, lipid transfer protein facilitated the net transfer of 16 and 11% of cellular cholesteryl ester and triglyceride radioactivity, respectively, to the medium; transfer in the absence of the lipid transfer protein was less than 2%. The transfer of cholesteryl ester radioactivity was accompanied by a similar decrease in cellular cholesteryl ester mass indicating a net transfer event. Lipid transfer from cells was not dependent on the presence of a lipoprotein acceptor in the medium; however, low and high density lipoproteins present at 200 micrograms cholesterol/ml did significantly stimulate the transfer protein-facilitated efflux of these lipids. Lipid transfer protein did not appear capable of transferring radiolabeled lipid from low density or high density lipoprotein to macrophages. Radiolabeled cholesteryl ester and triglyceride transferred from cells to the medium by lipid transfer protein were associated with large molecular weight (greater than 2 x 10(6)) components in the medium with an average density greater than 1.21 g/ml; these lipids were not associated with lipid transfer protein itself. However, these radiolabeled lipids were readily incorporated into low or high density lipoproteins when these lipoproteins were added to the medium either during or after its incubation with cells. It is concluded that lipid transfer protein can facilitate the net efflux of cholesteryl esters from intact, living macrophages. These studies suggest a novel and potentially antiatherogenic role for lipid transfer protein.

The capacity of the plasma-derived lipid transfer protein to facilitate the transfer of various cholesteryl ester species has been investigated. Four different molecular species of cholesteryl ester were incorporated into either reconstituted high density lipoproteins or phosphatidylcholine liposomes, and the resulting particles were used as donors in standardized lipid transfer assays. With reconstituted high density lipoproteins as substrate, the rate of transfer of cholesteryl esters was cholesteryl oleate greater than cholesteryl linoleate greater than cholesteryl arachidonate greater than cholesteryl palmitate. The transfer rate for cholesteryl oleate was 154% of that for cholesteryl palmitate. Liposome substrates gave similar results. It is concluded that lipid transfer protein transfers all major species of cholesteryl ester found in plasma; however, the relative rates of transfer were significantly affected by acyl chain composition. The transfer rates appeared to reflect substrate specificity rather than substrate availability within the donor particle.

Lipid transfer activities from human plasma have been characterized to determine whether triglyceride and cholesteryl ester transfer proteins are identical. After sequential purification by phenyl-Sepharose, CM-cellulose, chromatofocusing, and gel filtration, both triglyceride and cholesteryl ester transfer activities were purified approximately 15,000-fold compared to lipoprotein-deficient plasma, with a 14% recovery of both transfer activities. The gel filtration fraction showed two bands, Mr 58,300 and 66,400, as determined by electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulfate. Two samples, each containing predominately one of the two bands, were obtained by selectively combining the eluates from the gel filtration column. The specific activities of triglyceride and cholesteryl ester transfer promoted by the larger protein were within 10% of those for the smaller protein. The relative rates of transfer for cholesteryl ester, triglyceride, retinyl ester, and cholesteryl ether for each fraction were the same. The transfer of triglyceride by either the large or small molecular weight component was almost completely inhibited by mercurial compounds, whereas cholesteryl ester transfer was relatively unaffected. We conclude that triglyceride and cholesteryl ester are transferred by the same plasma protein(s).