Development of a homogeneous assay for measurement of high-density lipoprotein-subclass cholesterol.

BACKGROUND: Several studies have suggested that measurement of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) 2 and HDL3 subfractions might be more useful for evaluating coronary risk than total HDL-cholesterol (C). However, methods of measuring HDL2 and HDL3 are quite laborious for general clinical use. Development of a quick and easy method of measuring HDL subfractions has been long-awaited. METHODS: Triglyceride (TG) rich lipoproteins (TRLs), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), HDL2, and HDL3 were used for screening of surfactants and enzymes to react selectively with HDL3-C and to decompose other lipoproteins. RESULTS: In order to develop HDL3-C homogeneous assay, polyoxyethylene styrenated phenyl ether derivative, for which the hydrophilic lipophilic balance (HLB) value is 13.6, was adopted as the most effective and specific surfactant for selection of HDL3 from HDL. Sphingomyelinase (SMase) reacted with TRLs and LDL preferentially, and decomposed them. HDL2-C was estimated by subtracting measured HDL3-C from total HDL-C, directly measured by homogeneous method. The homogeneous assay exhibited excellent correlations with the results of HDL3-C and HDL2-C measured by standard ultracentrifugation (R(2)=0.848 and 0.982, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: We established a rapid and effective, fully-automated assay for the measurement of HDL3-C. Furthermore, the subtraction of HDL3-C from total HDL-C allows concurrent determination of HDL2-C.

Expression and localization of P1 promoter-driven hepatocyte nuclear factor-4α (HNF4α) isoforms in human and rats.

BACKGROUND: Hepatocyte nuclear factor-4α (HNF4α; NR2A1) is an orphan member of the nuclear receptor superfamily involved in various processes that could influence endoderm development, glucose and lipid metabolism. A loss-of-function mutation in human HNF4α causes one form of diabetes mellitus called maturity-onset diabetes of the young type 1 (MODY1) which is characterized in part by a diminished insulin secretory response to glucose. The expression of HNF4α in a variety of tissues has been examined predominantly at the mRNA level, and there is little information regarding the cellular localization of the endogenous HNF4α protein, due, in part, to the limited availability of human HNF4α-specific antibodies. RESULTS: Monoclonal antibodies have been produced using baculovirus particles displaying gp64-HNF4α fusion proteins as the immunizing agent. The mouse anti-human HNF4α monoclonal antibody (K9218) generated against human HNF4α1/α2/α3 amino acids 3-49 was shown to recognize not only the transfected and expressed P1 promoter-driven HNF4α proteins, but also endogenous proteins. Western blot analysis with whole cell extracts from Hep G2, Huh7 and Caco-2 showed the expression of HNF4α protein, but HEK293 showed no expression of HNF4α protein. Nuclear-specific localization of the HNF4α protein was observed in the hepatocytes of liver cells, proximal tubular epithelial cells of kidney, and mucosal epithelial cells of small intestine and colon, but no HNF4α protein was detected in the stomach, pancreas, glomerulus, and distal and collecting tubular epithelial cells of kidney. The same tissue distribution of HNF4α protein was observed in humans and rats. Electron microscopic immunohistochemistry showed a chromatin-like localization of HNF4α in the liver and kidney. As in the immunohistochemical investigation using K9218, HNF4α mRNA was found to be localized primarily to liver, kidney, small intestine and colon by RT-PCR and GeneChip analysis. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that this method has the potential to produce valuable antibodies without the need for a protein purification step. Immunohistochemical studies indicate the tissue and subcellular specific localization of HNF4α and demonstrate the utility of K9218 for the detection of P1 promoter-driven HNF4α isoforms in humans and in several other mammalian species.

Establishment of a monoclonal antibody for human LXRalpha: Detection of LXRalpha protein expression in human macrophages.

Liver X activated receptor alpha (LXRalpha) forms a functional dimeric nuclear receptor with RXR that regulates the metabolism of several important lipids, including cholesterol and bile acids. As compared with RXR, the LXRalpha protein level in the cell is low and the LXRalpha protein itself is very hard to detect. We have previously reported that the mRNA for LXRalpha is highly expressed in human cultured macrophages. In order to confirm the presence of the LXRalpha protein in the human macrophage, we have established a monoclonal antibody against LXRalpha, K-8607. The binding of mAb K-8607 to the human LXRalpha protein was confirmed by a wide variety of different techniques, including immunoblotting, immunohistochemistry, and electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA). By immunoblotting with this antibody, the presence of native LXR protein in primary cultured human macrophage was demonstrated, as was its absence in human monocytes. This monoclonal anti-LXRalpha antibody should prove to be a useful tool in the analysis of the human LXRalpha protein.