Cholesterol transport from plasma membranes to intracellular membranes is inhibited by 3 beta-[2-(diethylamino)ethoxy]androst-5-en-17-one.

The compound U1866A (3 beta-[2-(diethylamino)ethoxy]androst-5-en-17-one) has been shown to inhibit the cellular transfer of low-density lipoprotein-derived cholesterol from lysosomes to plasma membranes (Liscum and Faust (1989) J. Biol. Chem. 264, 11796-806). We have in this study examined the effects of U18666A on cholesterol translocation from plasma membranes to intracellular membranes. Translocation of plasma membrane cholesterol was induced by degradation of plasma membrane sphingomyelin. The sphingomyelinase-induced activation of the acyl-CoA cholesterol acyl transferase (ACAT) reaction was completely inhibited in a dose-dependent manner by U18666A, both in cultured human skin fibroblasts and baby hamster kidney cells. Half-maximal inhibition (within 60 min) was obtained with 0.5-1 microgram/ml of U18666A. A time-course study indicated that the onset of inhibition was rapid (within 10-15 min), and reversible if U18666A was removed from the incubation mixture. Using a cholesterol oxidase assay, we observed that the extent of plasma membrane cholesterol translocation in sphingomyelinase-treated HSF cells was significantly lowered in the presence of U18666A (at 3 micrograms/ml). The effect of U18666A on cholesterol translocation was also fully reversible when the drug was withdrawn. In mouse Leydig tumor cells, labeled to constant specific activity with [3H]cholesterol, the compound U18666A inhibited in a dose-dependent manner the cyclic AMP-stimulated secretion of [3H]steroid hormones. The effects seen with compound U18666A appeared to be specific for this molecule, since another hydrophobic amine, imipramine, did not in our experiments affect cholesterol translocation or ACAT activation. Since different cell types display sensitivity to U18666A in various intracellular cholesterol transfer processes, they appear to have a common U18666A-sensitive regulatory mechanism.

Sphingosine inhibits sphingomyelinase-induced cholesteryl ester formation in cultured fibroblasts.

We have in this study examined the effects of sphingosine, a possible secondary degradation product following sphingomyelin hydrolysis, on cholesterol homeostasis in cultured human fibroblasts treated with sphingomyelinase. The activation of cholesterol esterification, which resulted from the degradation of plasma membrane sphingomyelin (by sphingomyelinase), was observed to be effectively blocked by sphingosine (half-maximal dose 6-7 microM). The inhibitory action of sphingosine could not be reproduced with other amines (e.g., dodecyl amine or imipramine). The onset of inhibition of cholesteryl ester formation by sphingosine was rapid (maximal effect within 15 min). Sphingosine itself had no spontaneous effects on the distribution of cellular cholesterol. At concentrations below 10 microM, sphingosine was not cytotoxic, as determined by cellular trypan blue permeability. The inhibitory action of sphingosine on cholesteryl ester formation apparently did not result from a direct inhibition of acyl-CoA cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT), since the activity of this enzyme was unaffected by sphingosine (10 microM) in a cell-free homogenate, using [14C]oleoyl-CoA as a co-substrate. Sphingosine was also unable to prevent the formation of activated fatty acids (oleoyl-CoA), since acyl-CoA synthetase activity in a cell-free homogenate was not inhibited by sphingosine (at 5 microM). The cellular cholesteryl ester cycle (i.e., the neutral cholesteryl ester hydrolase) was unaffected by sphingosine (at 5 microM). Down-regulation of PKC activity (24 h exposure of cells to 100 nM (62 ng/ml) phorbol ester) did not affect the sphingomyelinase-induced stimulation of [3H]cholesteryl ester formation. In addition, the sphingosine-induced inhibition of [3H]cholesteryl ester formation was not reversed in the presence of phorbol ester (short-term exposures), suggesting that the effect of sphingosine was not mediated via PKC. In conclusion, we have shown that sphingosine is an inhibitor of cholesteryl ester formation in fibroblasts. The inhibition is only seen with intact cells, which may suggest that a secondary metabolite of sphingosine was responsible for the observed inhibition of cholesteryl ester formation.

Effects of the phospholipid environment in the plasma membrane on receptor interaction with the adenylyl cyclase complex of intact cells.

In this study we have examined the effects of variations of the plasma membrane phospholipid and cholesterol content on the metabolic functions of the adenylyl cyclase complex in intact cells. Exposure of cells to 0.1 U/ml of sphingomyelinase led to the degradation of 75, 55 and 40% of the cellular total sphingomyelin mass in human skin fibroblasts (HSF), Chinese hamster lung fibroblasts (CHLF) and rat liver hepatocytes (RLH), respectively. Degradation of sphingomyelin in native cells led in turn to a reduction (within 60 min) of the plasma membrane cholesterol content (by 25, 15 and 10%, respectively). This manipulation of the plasma membrane lipid content did not affect the forskolin or prostaglandin E1-induced activation of adenylyl cyclase (as measured from the conversion of [3H]adenine via [3H]ATP to [3H]cAMP). These manipulations did, however, increase the basal rate of [3H]cAMP formation in rat liver hepatocytes (but not in the fibroblast cell types). With Chinese hamster lung fibroblasts, transfected to express an alpha 2-adrenergic receptor, it was observed that the alpha 2-adrenergic receptor-induced inhibition of adenylyl cyclase activity was slightly (but significantly) diminished in sphingomyelin and cholesterol-depleted cells. With isolated rat liver hepatocytes it was observed that the glucagon (receptor) mediated activation of adenylyl cyclase was also reduced in sphingomyelinase-treated cells. In another set of experiments, CHLF and RLH cells were exposed for 2 h to vesicles prepared from dilauroylphosphatidylcholine, to increase the lateral packing density in the outer leaflet of the plasma membrane. In such treated cells, the receptor-coupling to adenylyl cyclase was markedly reduced both in CHLF (the alpha 2-adrenergic receptor) and RLH (the glucagon-receptor) cells. We conclude that the direct activation of adenylyl cyclase (i.e., by forskolin) is not markedly affected by manipulations outer leaflet phospholipid composition (either reduction of sphingomyelin or increase of phosphatidylcholine), whereas receptor-coupled events clearly are.

Rapid turn-over of plasma membrane sphingomyelin and cholesterol in baby hamster kidney cells after exposure to sphingomyelinase.

Plasma membrane sphingomyelin in baby hamster kidney (BHK-21) cells was hydrolyzed with sphingomyelinase (Staphylococcus aureus) and the effects on membrane cholesterol translocation and the properties of membrane bound adenylate cyclase and Na+/K(+)-ATPase were determined. Exposure of confluent BHK-21 cells to 0.1 U/ml of sphingomyelinase led to the degradation (at 37 degrees C) of about 60% of cell sphingomyelin. No simultaneous hydrolysis of phosphatidylcholine occurred. The hydrolysis of sphingomyelin subsequently led to the translocation (within 40 min) of about 50-60% of cell [3H]cholesterol from a cholesterol oxidase susceptible pool to an oxidase resistant compartment. The translocation of [3H]cholesterol from the cell surface to intracellular membranes was accompanied by a paralleled increase in [3H]cholesterol ester formation. When cells were first exposed to sphingomyelinase (to degrade sphingomyelin) and then incubated without the enzyme in serum-free media, the mass of cell sphingomyelin decreased initially (by 60%), but then began to increase and reached control levels within 3-4 h. The rapid re-synthesis of sphingomyelin was accompanied by an equally rapid normalization of cell [3H]cholesterol distribution. The re-formation of cell sphingomyelin also led to a decreased content of cellular [3H]cholesterol esters, indicating that unesterified [3H]cholesterol was pulled out of the cholesterol ester cycle and transported to the cell surface. Exposure of BHK-21 cells to sphingomyelinase further led to a dramatically decreased activity of ouabain-sensitive Na+/K(+)-ATPase, whereas forskolin-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity was not affected. The activity of Na+/K(+)-ATPase returned to normal in parallel with the normalization of cell sphingomyelin mass and cholesterol distribution. We conclude that sphingomyelin has profound effects on the steady-state distribution of cell cholesterol, and that manipulations of cell sphingomyelin levels directly and reversibly affects the apparent distribution of cholesterol. Changes in the lipid composition of the plasma membrane also appears to selectively affect important metabolic reactions in that compartment.