Cholesterol regulates high-density lipoprotein interaction with isolated epithelial cells of human small intestine.

The effect of cholesterol on the interaction of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) with isolated human small intestine epithelial cells (enterocytes) was studied. 125I-labeled HDL3 binding by these cells was enhanced in response to cholesterol loading of the cells in a time- and dose- dependent manner. Preincubation of the cells with cholesterol led to the enhancement both of the number of binding sites and the binding affinity. The enhancement of binding correlated with the cellular cholesterol content. Cycloheximide (0.5 mM) inhibited uptake of cholesterol by enterocytes and blocked its effect on 125I-labeled HDL3 binding. The effect of cholesterol on 125I-labeled HDL3 degradation had a double-phase character. At concentrations 10-20 micrograms/ml, the degradation rate was rapidly elevated, but further increase in cholesterol concentration led to a fall in the degradation rate. Incubation of enterocytes with HDL3 resulted in the efflux of cholesterol from cells and its incorporation into HDL3. The results obtained make it possible to assume that binding and degradation of 125I-labeled HDL3 by human enterocytes are independently regulated by the cell total cholesterol content. Binding of HDL by enterocytes may result both in the degradation of HDL and cholesterol efflux from cells.

Specific high affinity binding and degradation of high density lipoproteins by isolated epithelial cells of human small intestine.

The interaction of high density lipoproteins (HDL) with isolated epithelial cells of human small intestine (enterocytes) was studied. 125I-HDL3 (density = 1,125 to 1,126 g/cm3) exhibit a high-affinity (Kd = 8.3 X 10(-8). Bmax = 886 ng/mg cell protein), saturable and reversible binding to isolated enterocytes. In the presence of excess unlabeled HDL3, the cell surface-bound 125I-HDL3 are released into the medium nondegraded. Treatment of cells with pronase does not affect 125I-HDL3 binding. The binding is accompanied with internalization and degradation of 125I-HDL3. Chloroquine inhibits the degradation and increases 125I-HDL3 uptake. A threefold excess of HDL3 and HDL2 inhibits the binding and degradation of 125I-HDL3 by 60%, whereas a 20-fold excess of low density lipoproteins (LDL), only by 20%. HDL3 (20 to 1,000 micrograms/mL) stimulates the synthesis of sterols and inhibits sterol ester synthesis in enterocytes. The obtained results make it possible to assume that epithelial cells of the small intestine may participate in the catabolism of HDL in human organism.