Macrophage heterogeneity and cholesterol homeostasis: classically-activated macrophages are associated with reduced cholesterol accumulation following treatment with oxidized LDL.

Macrophages are centrally involved during atherosclerosis development and are the predominant cell type that accumulates cholesterol in the plaque. Macrophages however, are heterogeneous in nature reflecting a variety of microenvironments and different phenotypes may be more prone to contribute towards atherosclerosis progression. Using primary human monocyte-derived macrophages, we sought to evaluate one aspect of atherogenic potential of different macrophage phenotypes by determining their propensity to associate with and accumulate oxidized low density lipoprotein (oxLDL). Classically-activated macrophages treated simultaneously with interferon γ (IFNγ) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) associated with less oxLDL and accumulated less cholesterol compared to untreated controls. The combined treatment of IFNγ and TNFα reduced the mRNA expression of CD36 and the expression of both cell surface CD36 and macrophage scavenger receptor 1 (MSR1) protein. Under oxLDL loaded conditions, IFNγ and TNFα did not reduce macrophage protein expression of the transcription factor peroxisome proliferator-actived receptor γ (PPARγ) which is known to positively regulate CD36 expression. However, macrophages treated with IFNγ attenuated the ability of the PPARγ-specific agonist rosiglitazone from upregulating cell surface CD36 protein expression. Our results demonstrate that the observed reduction of cholesterol accumulation in macrophages treated with IFNγ and TNFα following oxLDL treatment was due at least in part to reduced cell surface CD36 and MSR1 protein expression.

Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 decreases oxidized lipoprotein cellular association by human macrophages and hepatocytes.

We investigated whether the presence of endogenous or exogenous lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) can modify the cellular association of oxidized low density lipoprotein (oxLDL) and oxidized lipoprotein(a) (oxLp(a)) by human monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM) and hepatocytes (HepG2). Purified recombinant Lp-PLA2 was used as a source of exogenous enzyme whereas Pefabloc (serine esterase inhibitor) was used to inhibit the endogenous Lp-PLA2 activity associated with isolated lipoproteins. Cellular association studies were performed with DiI-labeled oxLDL or oxLp(a) and human monocyte-derived macrophages and HepG2 cells. Active Lp-PLA2 decreased the cellular association of oxLDL and oxLp(a) in macrophages and HepG2 cells by approximately 30-40%, whereas the inactive enzyme did not significantly change oxidized lipoprotein cellular association by either cell type. OxLDL pretreated by Pefabloc increased oxLDL cellular association by MDM and HepG2 cells compared to untreated oxLDL. Therefore, unlike some lipases, Lp-PLA2 did not appear to have any catalytic independent function in oxLDL cellular association. To assess whether the reduced cellular association mediated by Lp-PLA2 was due to the hydrolysis of oxidized phosphatidylcholine (oxPC), we measured the concentration of lysophosphatidylcholine (lysoPC) in lipoprotein fractions after Lp-PLA2 treatment. LysoPC was increased by 20% (0.4 microM) and 87% (0.7 microM) by active Lp-PLA2 compared to inactive Lp-PLA2 for oxLDL and Lp(a), respectively. LysoPC at higher concentration dose-dependently increased the cellular association of oxLDL and oxLp(a) in MDM and HepG2 cells. We conclude that Lp-PLA2 mediates a decrease in oxidized lipoprotein cellular association in human macrophages and HepG2 cells by reducing the concentration of oxPC within these lipoproteins.