CD36 inhibitors reduce postprandial hypertriglyceridemia and protect against diabetic dyslipidemia and atherosclerosis.

CD36 is recognized as a lipid and fatty acid receptor and plays an important role in the metabolic syndrome and associated cardiac events. The pleiotropic activity and the multiple molecular associations of this scavenger receptor with membrane associated molecules in different cells and tissues have however questioned its potential as a therapeutic target. The present study shows that it is possible to identify low molecular weight chemicals that can block the CD36 binding and uptake functions. These inhibitors were able to reduce arterial lipid deposition, fatty acid intestinal transit, plasma concentration of triglycerides and glucose, to improve insulin sensitivity, glucose tolerance and to reduce the plasma concentration of HbAc1 in different and independent rodent models. Correlation between the anti-CD36 activity of these inhibitors and the known pathophysiological activity of this scavenger receptor in the development of atherosclerosis and diabetes were observed at pharmacological doses. Thus, CD36 might represent an attractive therapeutic target.

Liver X receptor activation induces the uptake of cholesteryl esters from high density lipoproteins in primary human macrophages.

OBJECTIVE: Liver X receptors (LXRs) are oxysterol-activated nuclear receptors regulating reverse cholesterol transport, in part by modulating cholesterol efflux from macrophages to apoAI and HDL via the ABCA1 and ABCG1/ABCG4 pathways. Moreover, LXR activation increases intracellular cholesterol trafficking via the induction of NPC1 and NPC2 expression. However, implication of LXRs in the selective uptake of cholesteryl esters from lipoproteins in human macrophages has never been reported. METHODS AND RESULTS: Our results show that (1) selective CE uptake from HDL(3) is highly efficient in human monocyte-derived macrophages; (2) surprisingly, HDL(3)-CE uptake is strongly increased by LXR activation despite antiatherogenic effects of LXRs; (3) HDL(3)-CE uptake increase is not linked to SR-BI expression modulation but it is dependent of proteoglycan interactions; (4) HDL(3)-CE uptake increase is associated with increased expression and secretion of apoE and LPL, two proteins interacting with proteoglycans; (5) HDL(3)-CE uptake increase depends on the integrity of raft domains and is associated with an increased caveolin-1 expression. CONCLUSIONS: Our study identifies a new role for LXRs in the control of cholesterol homeostasis in human macrophages. LXR activation results in enhanced dynamic intracellular cholesterol fluxes through an increased CE uptake from HDL and leads to an increased cholesterol availability to efflux to apoAI and HDL.