Regulation of hepatic very-low-density lipoprotein secretion in rats fed on a diet high in unsaturated fat.

Rats were fed ad libitum on either a standard, high-carbohydrate, chow diet or a similar diet supplemented with 15% unsaturated fat (corn oil). Hepatocytes were prepared either during the dark phase (D6-hepatocytes) or during the light phase (L2-hepatocytes) of the diurnal cycle. In hepatocytes from rats fed on the unsaturated-fat-containing diet, secretion of very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) triacylglycerol was inhibited to a greater extent in the D6- than in the L2-hepatocytes. Plasma non-esterified fatty acid concentrations were elevated to the same extent at both D6 and L2 in the unsaturated-fat-fed animals. The secretion of VLDL esterified and non-esterified cholesterol was relatively insensitive to changes in the unsaturated-fat content of the diet. This resulted in proportionate increases in the content of these lipid constituents compared with that of triacylglycerol in the nascent VLDL. There was also an increase in the ratio of esterified to non-esterified cholesterol in the nascent VLDL produced by hepatocytes of the unsaturated-fat-fed animals. In the D6-hepatocytes from the unsaturated-fat-fed animals, the decrease in the secretion of VLDL triacylglycerol could not be reversed by addition of exogenous oleate (0.7 mM) to the incubation medium. In contrast, addition of a mixture of lactate (10 mM) and pyruvate (1 mM) stimulated both fatty acid synthesis de novo and the rate of VLDL triacylglycerol secretion. Secretion of esterified and non-esterified cholesterol also increased under these conditions. Insulin suppressed the secretion of VLDL triacylglycerol and cholesteryl ester under a wide range of conditions in all types of hepatocyte preparations. Non-esterified cholesterol secretion was unaffected. In hepatocytes prepared from the fat-fed animals, these effects of insulin were more pronounced at D6 than at L2. Glucagon also inhibited VLDL lipid secretion in all types of hepatocyte preparations. The decrease in cholesterol secretion was due equally to decreases in the rates of secretion of both esterified and non-esterified cholesterol.     

Short- and longer-term regulation of very-low-density lipoprotein secretion by insulin, dexamethasone and lipogenic substrates in cultured hepatocytes. A biphasic effect of insulin.

1. The precise effects of insulin, dexamethasone and lipogenic precursors on the secretion of very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) cholesterol and triacylglycerol were dependent on the age of the culture and the duration of treatment. 2. The rates of secretion of triacylglycerol and cholesterol gradually declined with the age of the culture, although there was no detectable decrease within a given 24 h period. 3. Between 4 h and 24 h after cell preparation, insulin inhibited VLDL secretion. Inhibition was maximal between 6 and 12 h after addition of insulin. Longer-term treatment (24-48 h) with insulin resulted in a stimulation of VLDL secretion. This effect was less apparent when dexamethasone was simultaneously present. The secretion of triacylglycerol and cholesteryl ester was more sensitive to insulin than was that of non-esterified cholesterol. 4. Dexamethasone alone stimulated the secretion of VLDL to an extent which increased with the age of the culture. In young cultures (up to 24 h old) dexamethasone protected against inhibition by insulin, but was ineffective in older cultures. 5. In young cultures the stimulatory effect of lipogenic precursors (lactate and pyruvate) on the secretion of triacylglycerol and cholesterol was more pronounced in the presence of dexamethasone. In cultures older than 24 h, the secretion of these components was less sensitive to short-term stimulation by lactate and pyruvate.     

Effects of hormones and pyruvate on the rates of secretion of very-low-density lipoprotein triacylglycerol and cholesterol by rat hepatocytes

The secretion of very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) triacylglycerol and cholesterol was determined under various conditions in hepatocytes prepared from rats maintained on a controlled lighting and feeding schedule. The rate of lipogenesis in hepatocytes prepared from rats during the feeding period was 2-3-fold higher than that in cells prepared immediately before the animals had access to food. However, there were no corresponding changes in the rates of secretion of triacylglycerol and cholesterol. Pyruvate alone stimulated triacylglycerol secretion but had no effect on the secretion of cholesterol. Despite its stimulation of lipogenesis, insulin suppressed the secretion of both triacylglycerol and cholesterol. This effect on triacylglycerol secretion was more pronounced when lipogenesis was enhanced in the presence of pyruvate. Thus, insulin may act to alleviate hypertriglyceridaemia, which may arise during periods of increased hepatic lipogenesis. The inhibitory effect of glucagon on cholesterol secretion was much less pronounced than that on the secretion of triacylglycerol. The inhibitory effects of glucagon were reversed by pyruvate on cholesterol secretion differed according to whether glucagon was present or absent. These results suggest that the rate of hepatic VLDL triacylglycerol secretion is not necessarily coupled to the rate of lipogenesis in the liver; nor is there any obligatory coupling between the output of triacylglycerol and cholesterol associated with VLDL.     

Long-term maintenance of high rates of very-low-density-lipoprotein secretion in hepatocyte cultures. A model for studying the direct effects of insulin and insulin deficiency in vitro.

High rates of hepatic cellular triacylglycerol synthesis and very-low-density-lipoprotein (VLDL) triacylglycerol output were maintained in vitro for at least 3 days when hepatocytes were cultured in a medium lacking insulin but supplemented with 1 microM-dexamethasone, 10 mM-lactate, 1 mM-pyruvate and 0.75 mM-oleate (supplemented medium). Under these conditions VLDL output remained constant, whereas cell triacyglycerol content increased 10-fold over 3 days, suggesting that the secretory process was saturated. Insulin, present during the first 24 h period, enhanced the storage of cellular triacylglycerol by inhibiting the secretion of VLDL. This stored triacyglycerol was subsequently released into the medium as VLDL if insulin was removed. With the supplemented medium the increased rate of VLDL secretion after insulin removal exceeded that observed under 'saturating' conditions, suggesting that pre-treatment with insulin enhanced the capacity for VLDL secretion. In contrast with the short-term (24 h) effects of insulin, longer-term exposure (greater than 48 h) to insulin enhanced the secretion of VLDL compared with insulin-untreated cultures. Under these conditions, insulin increased the net rates of triacylglycerol synthesis. The results suggest that insulin affects the secretion of VLDL triacylglycerol by two distinct and opposing mechanisms: first, by direct inhibition of secretion; second by increasing triacylglycerol synthesis, which stimulates secretion. The net effect at any time depends upon the relative importance of each of these processes.     

Manipulation of cholesterol and cholesteryl ester synthesis has multiple effects on the metabolism of apolipoprotein B and the secretion of very-low-density lipoprotein by primary hepatocyte cultures.

Inhibition of esterified and non-esterified cholesterol synthesis by lovastatin in primary rat hepatocytes suppressed the net synthesis and very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) secretion of apolipoprotein B (apoB)-48 and apoB-100. Lovastatin did not alter the rates of apoB-48 and apoB-100 post-translational degradation. 25-Hydroxycholesterol, which inhibited non-esterified cholesterol synthesis but increased the synthesis of cholesteryl ester, showed differential effects on the metabolism of apoB-48 and apoB-100. Whereas the secretion of apoB-48 VLDL was suppressed there was no effect on the secretion of apoB-100 VLDL. The post-translational degradation of apoB-48, but not of apoB-100, was enhanced by 25-hydroxycholesterol. The net synthesis rates of apoB-48 and apoB-100 were unaffected by 25-hydroxycholesterol. The inhibitory effect of lovastatin alone on the net synthesis of apoB-48 and apoB-100 was reversed by the simultaneous presence of 25-hydroxycholesterol, suggesting a role for newly synthesised cholesteryl ester. Prevention of the reversal effect by the acyl-CoA: cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT) inhibitor YM 17E supported this interpretation. In the presence of lovastatin, restoration of the net synthesis of apoB by 25-hydroxycholesterol was not accompanied by an increased VLDL output of apoB-48 and apoB-100. However, under these conditions there was an increased post-translational degradation of apoB-48 and apoB-100. These results suggest that interference with intracellular cholesterol and cholesteryl ester metabolism interrupts VLDL assembly at sites of both apoB net synthesis and post-translational degradation.     

Silencing of ANGPTL 3 (angiopoietin-like protein 3) in human hepatocytes results in decreased expression of gluconeogenic genes and reduced triacylglycerol-rich VLDL secretion upon insulin stimulation

Homozygosity of loss-of-function mutations in ANGPTL3 (angiopoietin-like protein 3)-gene results in FHBL2 (familial combined hypolipidaemia, OMIM #605019) characterized by the reduction of all major plasma lipoprotein classes, which includes VLDL (very-low-density lipoprotein), LDL (low-density lipoprotein), HDL (high-density lipoprotein) and low circulating NEFAs (non-esterified fatty acids), glucose and insulin levels. Thus complete lack of ANGPTL3 in humans not only affects lipid metabolism, but also affects whole-body insulin and glucose balance. We used wild-type and ANGPTL3-silenced IHHs (human immortalized hepatocytes) to investigate the effect of ANGPTL3 silencing on hepatocyte-specific VLDL secretion and glucose uptake. We demonstrate that both insulin and PPARγ (peroxisome-proliferator-activated receptor γ) agonist rosiglitazone down-regulate the secretion of ANGPTL3 and TAG (triacylglycerol)-enriched VLDL1-type particles in a dose-dependent manner. Silencing of ANGPTL3 improved glucose uptake in hepatocytes by 20–50% and influenced down-regulation of gluconeogenic genes, suggesting that silencing of ANGPTL3 improves insulin sensitivity. We further show that ANGPTL3-silenced cells display a more pronounced shift from the secretion of TAG-enriched VLDL1-type particles to secretion of lipid poor VLDL2-type particles during insulin stimulation. These data suggest liver-specific mechanisms involved in the reported insulin-sensitive phenotype of ANGPTL3-deficient humans, featuring lower plasma insulin and glucose levels.     

Cholesterol is required for secretion of very-low-density lipoprotein by rat liver.

To study potential effects of hepatic cholesterol concentration on secretion of very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) by the liver, male rats were fed on unsupplemented chow, chow with lovastatin (0.1%), or chow with lovastatin (0.1%) and cholesterol (0.1%) for 1 week. Livers were isolated from these animals and perfused in vitro, with a medium containing [2-14C]acetate, bovine serum albumin and glucose in Krebs-Henseleit buffer, and with an oleate-albumin complex. With lovastatin feeding, the hepatic concentrations of cholesteryl esters and triacylglycerols before perfusion were decreased, although free cholesterol was unchanged. However, hepatic secretion of all the VLDL lipids was decreased dramatically by treatment with lovastatin. Although total secretion of VLDL triacylglycerol, phospholipid, cholesterol and cholesteryl esters was decreased, the decrease in triacylglycerol was greater than that in free cholesterol or cholesteryl esters, resulting in secretion of a VLDL particle enriched in sterols relative to triacylglycerol. In separate studies, the uptake of VLDL by livers from control animals or animals treated with lovastatin was measured. Uptake of VLDL was estimated by disappearance of VLDL labelled with [1-14C]oleate in the triacylglycerol moiety, and was observed to be similar in both groups. During perfusion, triacylglycerol accumulated to a greater extent in livers from lovastatin-fed rats than in control animals. The depressed output of VLDL triacylglycerols and the increase in triacylglycerol in the livers from lovastatin-treated animals was indicative of a limitation in the rate of VLDL secretion. Addition of cholesterol (either free cholesterol or human low-density lipoprotein) to the medium perfusing livers from lovastatin-fed rats, or addition of cholesterol to the diet of lovastatin-fed rats, increased the hepatic concentration of cholesteryl esters and the output of VLDL lipids. The concentration of cholesteryl esters in the liver was correlated with the secretion of VLDL by the liver. These data suggest that cholesterol is an obligate component of the VLDL required for its secretion. It is additionally suggested that cholesteryl esters are in rapid equilibrium with a small pool of free cholesterol which comprises a putative metabolic pool available and necessary for the formation and secretion of the VLDL. Furthermore, the specific radioactivity (d.p.m./mumol) of the secreted VLDL free cholesterol was much greater than that of hepatic free cholesterol, suggesting that the putative hepatic metabolic pool is only a minor fraction of total hepatic free cholesterol.     

Prostaglandins suppress VLDL secretion in primary rat hepatocyte cultures: relationships to hepatic calcium metabolism.

In primary cultures of rat hepatocytes, prostaglandin E2 and prostaglandin D2 (PGE2 and PGD2) inhibited the secretion of very low density lipoprotein (VLDL)-associated apoB, triacylglycerol, and cholesterol. These effects were concentration-dependent and remained apparent for at least 3 days of culture without an effect on the apoB/triacylglycerol ratio of the secreted VLDL. Prostaglandins had no effect on the overall synthesis of triacylglycerol but triacylglycerol accumulated within the cells, without intracellular accumulation of apoB. PGE2, when added to the medium together with glucagon, increased the inhibition of VLDL secretion, compared to that observed with glucagon alone. However, PGE2 did not increase the stimulatory effect of glucagon on ketogenesis. Unlike glucagon, the prostaglandins did not inhibit fatty acid synthesis nor did they stimulate ketogenesis or production of cAMP. Thus, of all the parameters of hepatic lipid metabolism studied, PGE2 and PGD2 selectively affected VLDL. Selective inhibition of VLDL secretion was also observed with the calcium antagonist verapamil. The divalent cation ionophore A23187 also inhibited VLDL release but, in contrast, also inhibited fatty acid and cholesterol synthesis. The results suggest that VLDL secretion is modulated at some optimal cell calcium concentration that may be mediated selectively by agents such as prostaglandins.     

Storage, mobilization and secretion of cytosolic triacylglycerol in hepatocyte cultures. The role of insulin.

Cytosolic triacylglycerol labelled from [3H]oleate accounted for almost 50% (57 +/- 22 nmol/mg of protein) of the total cellular triacylglycerol which was newly synthesized by cultured hepatocytes during a 24 h incubation. Insulin decreased the export of triacylglycerol as very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) during this period. This resulted in a sequestration of newly synthesized triacylglycerol in the cytosol, rather than in the particulate fraction of the cell. Longer periods of incubation with [3H]oleate resulted in increased concentrations of newly synthesized triacylglycerol within the cell, most of which (78 +/- 3% after 48 h; 80 +/- 3% after 72 h) was located within the cytosolic fraction. The quantity of newly synthesized triacylglycerol in the cell cytosol was further increased by insulin. During these periods there were decreases in the amounts of triacylglycerol associated with the particulate fraction of the cell, irrespective of the presence or absence of insulin. In no case was a decrease in VLDL triacylglycerol secretion in response to insulin accompanied by an increased triacylglycerol content in the particulate fraction of the cell. In some experiments, the fate of the cytosolic triacylglycerol was studied by pulse labelling with [3H]oleate. In these cases, when insulin was removed from the medium of cells to which they had previously been exposed, more newly synthesized triacylglycerol was secreted compared with cells which had not been exposed to insulin. This extra triacylglycerol was mobilized from the cytosolic rather than from the particulate fraction of the cell. Subsequent addition of insulin to the medium prevented the mobilization of cytosolic triacylglycerol. These results suggest that insulin enhances the storage of hepatocellular triacylglycerol in a cytosolic pool. Deficiency of insulin in the medium stimulates the mobilization of this pool which is channelled into the secretory pathway, entering the extracellular medium as VLDL.     

Secretion and storage of newly synthesized hepatic triacylglycerol fatty acids in vivo in different nutritional states and in diabetes.

Hepatic lipid synthesis was measured in rats in vivo with 3H2O, and the appearance of label in triacylglycerol and its constituent fatty acid and glycerol moieties was determined. In rats treated with Triton WR1339, the amount of newly synthesized fatty acid secreted as very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) triacylglycerol was greater during the dark phase of the diurnal cycle than during the light phase (11.3 versus 4.8 mumol of 3H2O/3 h per g of liver respectively). However, the total mass of VLDL triacylglycerol secreted remained constant, as did the amount of label in the secreted triacylglycerol glycerol. Newly synthesized fatty acids comprised only a small proportion of the total VLDL triacylglycerol fatty acids (TGFA) at both times (dark phase, 7.7%; light phase, 2.4%). Starvation for 24 h resulted in a small increase in the secretion of VLDL triacylglycerol. However, the contribution from newly synthesized fatty acids was decreased. Similar effects were observed in streptozotocin-diabetic animals. During the light and dark phases of the cycle, similar quantities of newly synthesized TGFA entered the hepatic cytosol, and these amounts were much smaller than those secreted as VLDL triacylglycerol. The mass of cytosolic triacylglycerol showed a diurnal variation, with a greater concentration during the light phase than in the dark. In diabetes, the mass of triacylglycerol was increased in the cytosol, as was the incorporation of labelled acylglycerol glycerol. Diabetes also abolished the diurnal variation in the quantity of cytosolic triacylglycerol. In each group of animals the specific radioactivity of the microsomal triacylglycerol was similar to that of the respective newly secreted plasma VLDL. The specific radioactivity of the cytosolic triacylglycerol was only 15.8% (dark phase) or 16.8% (light phase) that of the microsomal triacylglycerol. This increased to 35.5% in the starved animals and 40.2% in the diabetic animals.     

Hypersecretion of VLDL, but not HDL, by hepatocytes from the JCR:LA-corpulent rat

The JCR:LA-corpulent male rat, when homozygous for the cp gene (cp/cp) is hyperlipidemic and prone to atherosclerosis. Both male and female cp/cp rats have markedly elevated serum levels of triacylglycerols and phospholipids [Dolphin, P.J. et al. 1987. Biochim. Biophys. Acta. 919: 140-148]. In the present study, monolayer cultures of hepatocytes were prepared from male and female, corpulent and lean, rats. There was a marked hypersecretion of all very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) lipid and apoprotein components from corpulent-derived cells. The increased secretion most likely accounts for the increased levels of VLDL lipids and apoproteins previously observed in serum. In contrast, there was no difference between the corpulent and lean hepatocytes in their secretion of high density lipoprotein (HDL) lipids and apoproteins. The difference in triacylglycerol secretion between the lean and corpulent cells was sustained even when the cells were cultured for 24, 48, and 72 h prior to the experiment, by which time the hormonal differences between the corpulent and lean animals would have been largely eliminated. The magnitude of the difference in triacyglycerol secretion did not diminish with increasing time in culture. The biochemical basis responsible for the hypersecretion of VLDL has not yet been established. However, preliminary results suggest that there is an inherent difference in glycerolipid metabolism in the two types of hepatocytes.     

The effects of dietary n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids delivered in chylomicron remnants on the transcription of genes regulating synthesis and secretion of very-low-density lipoprotein by the liver: modulation by cellular oxidative state

The influence of chylomicron remnants enriched in n-3 or n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) (derived from fish or corn oil, respectively) on the expression of mRNA for four genes involved in the regulation of the synthesis, assembly, and secretion of very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) in the liver was investigated in normal rat hepatocytes and after manipulation of the cellular oxidative state by incubation with N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) or CuSO(4). The four genes investigated were those encoding apolipoprotein B (apoB), the microsomal triacylglycerol transfer protein (MTP), and the enzymes acyl coenzyme A:diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT) and acyl coenzyme A:cholesterol acyltransferase 2 (ACAT2), which play a role in the regulation of triacylglycerol and cholesteryl ester synthesis, respectively. mRNA levels for apoB, MTP, and DGAT were unaffected by either fish or corn oil chylomicron remnants, but the amount of ACAT2 mRNA was significantly reduced after incubation of the hepatocytes with fish oil remnants as compared with corn oil remnants or without remnants. These findings indicate that the delivery of dietary n-3 PUFA to hepatocytes in chylomicron remnants downregulates the expression of mRNA for ACAT2, and this may play a role in their inhibition of VLDL secretion. However, when the cells were shifted into a pro-oxidizing or pro-reducing state by pretreatment with CuSO(4) (1 mM) or NAC (5 mM) for 24 hr, levels of mRNA for MTP were increased by about 2- or 4-fold, respectively, by fish oil remnants, whereas corn oil remnants had no significant effect. Fish oil remnants also caused a smaller increase in apoB mRNA in comparison with corn oil remnants in NAC-treated cells (+38%). These changes would be expected to lead to increased VLDL secretion rather than the decrease associated with dietary n-3 PUFA in normal conditions. These findings suggest that relatively minor changes in cellular redox levels can have a major influence on important liver functions such as VLDL synthesis and secretion.     

Bile acid synthesis and intracellular and extracellular cholesterol concentrations in isolated rat hepatocytes: the effect of dietary cholesterol

Bile acid synthesis in isolated hepatocytes prepared from rats given 1% cholesterol in the diet and incubated for 1 h in suspension was not increased compared to that in cells from control rats. When the hepatocytes were maintained in monolayer culture for 24 h, however, increased production of bile acid (X2.5) was observed in the cholesterol-fed group. The amount of bile acid synthesised during incubation in suspension was significantly correlated with intracellular unesterified cholesterol levels, but showed no correlation with intracellular esterified or medium cholesterol concentrations after 1 h. Bile acid production in hepatocytes maintained in monolayer culture was also significantly correlated with the intracellular unesterified, but not esterified, cholesterol content. In addition, in this case, there was a significant correlation with the levels of both unesterified and esterified cholesterol found in the medium after 24 h. These results suggest that the amount of cholesterol available to liver cells from extracellular sources has a role in the regulation of bile acid synthesis in cholesterol-fed rats, while the concentrations of esterified cholesterol stored within the cells are not important in this process.     

Stimulation of apolipoprotein secretion in very-low-density and high-density lipoproteins from cultured rat hepatocytes by dexamethasone.

The effects of dexamethasone (a synthetic glucocorticoid) and insulin on the secretion of very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) were investigated. Rat hepatocytes in monolayer culture were preincubated for 15 h in the presence or absence of combinations of 100 nM-dexamethasone and 2 nM-, 10 nM- or 50 nM-insulin. Dexamethasone increased [3H]oleate incorporation into secreted triacylglycerol by 2.7-fold and the mass of triacylglycerol secreted by 1.5-fold. Insulin alone decreased these parameters and antagonized the effect of dexamethasone. Dexamethasone increased the secretion of [3H]leucine in apolipoprotein (apo) E, and in the large (BH) and small (BI) forms of apo B in VLDL by about 7.1-, 3.6- and 4.0-fold respectively. Insulin alone decreased the secretion of these 3H-labelled apolipoproteins in VLDL. However, 2 nM-insulin with dexamethasone increased the secretion of 3H-labelled apo BH and apo BL by a further 0.8- and 3.2-fold respectively; 50 nM-insulin decreased the secretions of apo E, apo BH and apo BL in VLDL. Similar effects for dexamethasone or insulin alone were also obtained for the masses of apo E and apo BL + H secreted in VLDL. Albumin secretion was not significantly altered by either dexamethasone or insulin alone, but in combination they stimulated by 2.1-2.6-fold. Insulin or dexamethasone alone had little effect on the secretion of apolipoproteins in the HDL fraction. However, dexamethasone plus 2 nM-insulin increased the incorporation of [3H]leucine into apo AI, apo AH plus apo C, apo AIV and apo E of HDL by about 1.8-, 1.6-, 1.7- and 2.0-fold respectively. The apo E in the bottom fraction represented about 69% of the total 3H-labelled apo E secreted. The responses in the total secretion of apo E from the hepatocytes resembled those seen in HDL. The interactions of insulin and dexamethasone are discussed in relation to the general regulation of lipoprotein metabolism, the development of hyperlipidaemias and the predisposition to premature atherosclerosis.     

Insulin stimulates triacylglycerol secretion by perfused livers from fed rats but inhibits it in livers from fasted or insulin-deficient rats implications for the relationship between hyperinsulinaemia and hypertriglyceridaemia.

We determined whether the direction of the acute effect of insulin on hepatic triacylglycerol secretion is dependent on the prior physiological state or on the in vitro experimental system used. The effect of insulin on triacylglycerol secretion was studied using perfused livers isolated from rats under three metabolic conditions: fed normo-insulinaemic, 24-h fasted and fed, streptozotocin-diabetic (insulin-deficient). Insulin acutely activated triacylglycerol secretion (by 43%) in organs from fed, normo-insulinaemic animals, whereas it inhibited triacylglycerol secretion in livers isolated from fasted or insulin-deficient rats (by 30 and 33%, respectively). By contrast, in 24-h-cultured hepatocytes insulin invariably acutely inhibited triacylglycerol secretion irrespective of the metabolic state of the donor animals. It is concluded that the use of perfused livers enables the observation of a switch in the direction of insulin action on hepatic triacylglycerol secretion from stimulatory, in the normo-insulinaemic state, to inhibitory in the fasting or insulin-deficient state. The possible implications of this switch for the relationship between hyperinsulinaemia, increased hepatic very-low-density lipoprotein-triacylglycerol secretion and hypertriglyceridaemia observed in vivo are discussed.     

Hypertriglyceridemia is exacerbated by slow lipolysis of triacylglycerol-rich lipoproteins in fed but not fasted streptozotocin diabetic rats.

Hydrolysis by endothelial lipases of triacylglycerol-rich lipoproteins of diabetic origin were compared to lipoproteins of non-diabetic origin. The plasma lipoprotein fraction of density < 1.006 g/ml, including chylomicrons and VLDL, were incubated in vitro with post-heparin plasma (PHP) lipases. The lipoproteins of diabetic origin were hydrolysed at a significantly slower rate than lipoproteins from normal rats by the lipoprotein lipase component of PHP. However, if rats were fasted for 16 h prior to lipoprotein recovery, no differences in rates of VLDL hydrolysis were observed. Slower hydrolysis of lipoproteins of diabetic origin reflected a decrease in the apolipoprotein CII/CIII ratio and other changes in the apolipoprotein profile. To assess whether diabetic rats were less able to clear triacylglycerol independent of changes in the nature of the lipoproteins, we monitored the clearance of chylomicron-like lipid emulsions in hepatectomized rats. In vivo, emulsion triacylglycerol hydrolysis was not slowed due to diabetes. However, control and diabetic rats, which had been fasted for 16 h, cleared triacylglycerol at about twice the rate of fed rats. Triacylglycerol secretion rates in diabetic and control rats were similar, whether fed or fasted. We conclude that in streptozocin diabetic rats, hypertriglyceridemia was not due to overproduction of chylomicron- or VLDL-triacylglycerol, nor to decreased endothelial lipase activities. Rather, in fed diabetic rats, the triacylglycerol-rich lipoproteins are poorer substrates for lipoprotein lipase. This may lead to slower formation of remnants which would exacerbate slow remnant removal. VLDL of diabetic origin were hydrolysed as efficiently as VLDL from control donors, suggesting that in the fed state the lipolytic defect may be specific for chylomicrons.     

Reduced insulin-mediated inhibition of VLDL secretion upon pharmacological activation of the liver X receptor in mice

The nuclear liver X receptor (LXR) regulates multiple aspects of cholesterol, triacylglycerol (TG), and carbohydrate metabolism. Activation of LXR induces the expression of genes encoding enzymes involved in de novo lipogenesis (DNL) resulting in hepatic steatosis in mice. Pharmacological LXR activation has also been reported to improve insulin sensitivity and glucose homeostasis in diabetic rodents. The effects of pharmacological LXR ligands on insulin''s action on hepatic lipid metabolism are not known. We evaluated secretion of VLDL during a hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp in mice treated with the LXR-ligand T0901317. In untreated mice, hyperinsulinemia reduced the availability of plasma NEFA for VLDL-TG synthesis, increased the contribution of DNL to VLDL-TG, reduced VLDL particle size, and suppressed overall VLDL-TG production rate by approximately 50%. Upon T0901317 treatment, hyperinsulinemia failed to reduce VLDL particle size or suppress VLDL-TG production rate, but the contribution of DNL to VLDL-TG was increased. In conclusion, the effects of LXR activation by T0901317 on lipid metabolism can override the normal control of insulin to suppress VLDL particle secretion.     

Insulin effects on apolipoprotein B production by normal, diabetic and treated-diabetic rat liver and cultured rat hepatocytes.

1. The effect of insulin on apolipoprotein (apo B) secretion was studied in 24 h recirculating liver perfusions of isolated normal, diabetic and insulin-treated diabetic rats. In single perfusions from each group apo B accumulated in the media in a linear fashion. 2 In perfusions of normal rat livers, when the medium contained insulin plus cortisol, apo B production was significantly inhibited (by 35.8%), demonstrating a hormone effect on apo B secretion. 3. In perfusions of diabetic-rat livers, apo B production was decreased to 11.8% of normal when the medium contained no hormones, and was not significantly changed by the addition of insulin plus cortisol to the medium, suggesting that the hormone effect on apo B secretion is missing in long-term hypoinsulinaemic states. 4. Treatment of diabetic rats with daily insulin injection restored apo B production and restored the effect of insulin plus cortisol in the medium to inhibit apo B secretion during perfusion. 5. Parallel studies of apo B secretion with insulin alone, cortisol alone and insulin plus cortisol in the medium were performed in primary cultures of hepatocytes to compare results from liver perfusions. 6. Apo B secretion by hepatocytes from normal, diabetic and treated-diabetic rats was inhibited (by 36.8%, 57.1% and 57.9% respectively) when insulin alone was added to the medium. 7. Insulin plus cortisol inhibited apo B secretion by hepatocytes from normal and treated diabetic rats (by 30.2% and 47.2% respectively), but failed to inhibit apo B secretion by hepatocytes from diabetic rats.     

Stimulation of hepatic cholesterol biosynthesis by fatty acids. Effects of oleate on cytoplasmic acetoacetyl-CoA thiolase, acetoacetyl-CoA synthetase and hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA synthase.

The effects of oleic acid on the activities of cytosolic HMG-CoA (3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA) synthase, AcAc-CoA (acetoacetyl-CoA) thiolase and AcAc-CoA synthetase, as well as microsomal HMG-CoA reductase, all enzymes in the pathway of cholesterol biosynthesis, were studied in the isolated perfused rat liver. Oleic acid bound to bovine serum albumin, or albumin alone, was infused for 4 h at a rate sufficient to sustain an average concentration of 0.61 +/- 0.05 mM fatty acid during the perfusion. Hepatic cytosol and microsomal fractions were isolated at the termination of the perfusion. Oleic acid simultaneously increased the activities of the cytosolic cholesterol-biosynthetic enzymes 1.4-2.7-fold in livers from normal fed rats and from animals fasted for 24 h. These effects were accompanied by increased net secretion by the liver of cholesterol and triacylglycerol in the very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL). We confirmed the observations reported previously from this laboratory of the stimulation by oleic acid of microsomal HMG-CoA reductase. In cytosols from perfused livers, the increase in AcAc-CoA thiolase activity was characterized by an increase in Vmax. without any change in the apparent Km of the enzyme for AcAc-CoA. In contrast, oleic acid decreased the Km of HMG-CoA synthase for Ac-CoA, without alteration of the Vmax. of the enzyme. The Vmax. of AcAc-CoA synthetase was increased by oleic acid, and there was a trend towards a small increase in the Km of the enzyme for acetoacetate. These data allow us to conclude that the enzymes that supply the HMG-CoA required for hepatic cholesterogenesis are stimulated, as is HMG-CoA reductase, by a physiological substrate, fatty acid, that increases rates of hepatic cholesterol synthesis and cholesterol secretion. Furthermore, we suggest that these effects of fatty acid on hepatic cholesterol metabolism result from stimulation of secretion of triacylglycerol in the VLDL by fatty acids, and the absolute requirement of cholesterol as an important structural surface component of the VLDL necessary for transport of triacylglycerol from the liver.     

Head group specificity in the requirement of phosphatidylcholine biosynthesis for very low density lipoprotein secretion from cultured hepatocytes

We have demonstrated that hepatic very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) secretion requires active phosphatidylcholine (PC) synthesis via either the CDP-choline pathway or phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) methylation pathway (Yao, Z., and Vance, D.E. (1988) J. Biol. Chem. 263, 2998-3004). In the present work, the head group specificity of phospholipid synthesis required for lipoprotein secretion was investigated in cultured hepatocytes isolated from choline-deficient rats. When N-monomethylethanolamine (0.1 mM) or N,N-dimethylethanolamine (0.1 mM) was added to the culture medium, the cells synthesized correspondingly phosphatidylmonomethylethanolamine (PMME) or phosphatidyldimethylethanolamine (PDME). However, the synthesis of PDME could correct the impaired VLDL secretion only to a limited extent, whereas the synthesis of PMME inhibited VLDL secretion. Although dimethylethanolamine did not promote VLDL secretion as well as choline, dimethylethanolamine altered the increased triacylglycerol synthesis in the choline-deficient cells as effectively as choline. Supplementation of the culture medium with ethanolamine (0.1 mM) had little effect on cellular PE or PC levels, nor was normal VLDL secretion resumed. However, the amounts of cellular PC and PE were both decreased when the medium was supplemented with N-monomethylethanolamine or N,N-dimethylethanolamine. These results suggest that the choline head group moiety of PC is specifically required for normal VLDL secretion and cannot be replaced with ethanolamine, monomethylethanolamine, or dimethylethanolamine. In addition, the impaired VLDL secretion from the choline-deficient hepatocytes could also be corrected by supplementation of betaine (0.2 mM) and homocysteine (0.2 mM), indicating the utilization of a methyl group from betaine for PC formation via methylation of PE.