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Impact of Cholesterol Metabolism in Immune Cell Function and Atherosclerosis.

ABSTRACT: Cholesterol, the most important sterol in mammals, helps maintain plasma membrane fluidity and is a precursor of bile acids, oxysterols, and steroid hormones. Cholesterol in the body is obtained from the diet or can be de novo synthetized. Cholesterol homeostasis is mainly regulated by the liver, where cholesterol is packed in lipoproteins for transport through a tightly regulated process. Changes in circulating lipoprotein cholesterol levels lead to atherosclerosis development, which is initiated by an accumulation of modified lipoproteins in the subendothelial space; this induces significant changes in immune cell differentiation and function. Beyond lesions, cholesterol levels also play important roles in immune cells such as monocyte priming, neutrophil activation, hematopoietic stem cell mobilization, and enhanced T cell production. In addition, changes in cholesterol intracellular metabolic enzymes or transporters in immune cells affect their signaling and phenotype differentiation, which can impact on atherosclerosis development. In this review, we describe the main regulatory pathways and mechanisms of cholesterol metabolism and how these affect immune cell generation, proliferation, activation, and signaling in the context of atherosclerosis.

SUBMITTER: Aguilar-Ballester M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7400846 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Impact of Cholesterol Metabolism in Immune Cell Function and Atherosclerosis.

Aguilar-Ballester María M Herrero-Cervera Andrea A Vinué Ángela Á Martínez-Hervás Sergio S González-Navarro Herminia H

Nutrients 20200707 7

Cholesterol, the most important sterol in mammals, helps maintain plasma membrane fluidity and is a precursor of bile acids, oxysterols, and steroid hormones. Cholesterol in the body is obtained from the diet or can be de novo synthetized. Cholesterol homeostasis is mainly regulated by the liver, where cholesterol is packed in lipoproteins for transport through a tightly regulated process. Changes in circulating lipoprotein cholesterol levels lead to atherosclerosis development, which is initiat ...[more]

PMID: 32645995

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Project description:AimsAtherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ACVD) is a major cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide, and increased low-density lipoproteins (LDLs) play a critical role in development and progression of atherosclerosis. Here, we examined for the first time gut immunomodulatory effects of the microbiota-derived metabolite propionic acid (PA) on intestinal cholesterol metabolism.Methods and resultsUsing both human and animal model studies, we demonstrate that treatment with PA reduces blood total and LDL cholesterol levels. In apolipoprotein E-/- (Apoe-/-) mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD), PA reduced intestinal cholesterol absorption and aortic atherosclerotic lesion area. Further, PA increased regulatory T-cell numbers and interleukin (IL)-10 levels in the intestinal microenvironment, which in turn suppressed the expression of Niemann-Pick C1-like 1 (Npc1l1), a major intestinal cholesterol transporter. Blockade of IL-10 receptor signalling attenuated the PA-related reduction in total and LDL cholesterol and augmented atherosclerotic lesion severity in the HFD-fed Apoe-/- mice. To translate these preclinical findings to humans, we conducted a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled human study (clinical trial no. NCT03590496). Oral supplementation with 500 mg of PA twice daily over the course of 8 weeks significantly reduced LDL [-15.9 mg/dL (-8.1%) vs. -1.6 mg/dL (-0.5%), P = 0.016], total [-19.6 mg/dL (-7.3%) vs. -5.3 mg/dL (-1.7%), P = 0.014] and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels [PA vs. placebo: -18.9 mg/dL (-9.1%) vs. -0.6 mg/dL (-0.5%), P = 0.002] in subjects with elevated baseline LDL cholesterol levels.ConclusionOur findings reveal a novel immune-mediated pathway linking the gut microbiota-derived metabolite PA with intestinal Npc1l1 expression and cholesterol homeostasis. The results highlight the gut immune system as a potential therapeutic target to control dyslipidaemia that may introduce a new avenue for prevention of ACVDs.

Project description:Cholesterol efflux relates to cardiovascular disease but cannot predict cellular cholesterol mass changes. We asked whether influx and net flux assays provide additional insights.Adapt a bidirectional flux assay to cells where efflux has clinical correlates and examine the association of influx, efflux, and net flux to serum triglycerides (TGs). Apolipoprotein B-depleted (high-density lipoprotein-fraction) serum from individuals with unfavorable lipids (median [interquartile range]; high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol=39 [32-42], low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol=109 [97-137], TGs=258 [184-335] mg/dL; n=13) promoted greater ATP-binding cassette transporter A1-mediated [1,2-(3H)] cholesterol efflux (3.8±0.3%/4 hour versus 1.2±0.4%/4 hour; P<0.0001) from cyclic 3',5'-amp(CTP-amp)-treated J774 macrophages than from individuals with favorable lipids (high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol=72 [58-88], low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol=111 [97-131], TGs=65 [56-69] mg/dL; n=10). Thus, high TGs associated with more ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 acceptors. Efflux of cholesterol mass (?g free cholesterol/mg cell protein per 8 hour) to serum was also higher (7.06±0.33 versus 5.83±0.48; P=0.04). However, whole sera from individuals with unfavorable lipids promoted more influx (5.14±0.65 versus 2.48±0.85; P=0.02) and lower net release of cholesterol mass (1.93±0.46 versus 3.36±0.47; P=0.04). The pattern differed when mass flux was measured using apolipoprotein B-depleted serum rather than serum. Although individuals with favorable lipids tended to have greater influx than those with unfavorable lipids, efflux to apolipoprotein B-depleted serum was markedly higher (6.81±0.04 versus 2.62±0.14; P<0.0001), resulting in an efflux:influx ratio of ?3-fold. Thus both serum and apolipoprotein B-depleted serum from individuals with favorable lipids promoted greater net cholesterol mass release despite increased ATP-binding cassette transporter A1-mediated efflux in samples of individuals with high TGs/unfavorable lipids.When considering the efficiency of serum specimens to modulate cell cholesterol content, both influx and efflux need to be measured.

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Impact of Cholesterol Metabolism in Immune Cell Function and Atherosclerosis.

Publications

Impact of Cholesterol Metabolism in Immune Cell Function and Atherosclerosis.

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