IR spectroscopic study of phospholipid emulsions containing cholesteryl oleate

As models for the lipid organization of low density lipoproteins (LDL), protein-free aqueous emulsions are prepared from dimyristoyl phosphatidyl choline (DMPC), dipalmitoyl phosphatidyl choline (DPPC), and cholesteryl oleate (CO). Aqueous dispersions containing these lipids are sonicated and yield stable particles with diameters varying between 20 and 40 nm as measured through electron microscopy. IR spectroscopy shows that emulsions consisting of DMPC, DPPC, and CO at 3/1/1 and 1/1/1 ratios undergo specific thermal transitions, depending on their composition, that can be assigned to the phospholipids forming the surface layer of the emulsion particles and to core-located CO. However, at the 1/3/1 DMPC/DPPC/CO ratio this lipid system exhibits an order-disorder transition of the mixed phospholipids with no significant transition associated with core-located CO. Observation of the methylene C&bond;H and C&bond;D stretching modes of nondeuterated and deuterated lipids enables the packing characteristics and conformational order of each lipid to be monitored separately. The transition temperature changes compared to the temperatures for the analogous transitions in neat CO and CO-free phospholipid vesicles suggest the existence of interactions between CO and the above phospholipids in the ternary emulsion particles; these interactions are stronger at the 1/3/1 DMPC/DPPC/CO ratio. The results show that interactions between core and surface phases are dependent on the emulsion lipid composition and that these findings may be extended to native lipoproteins.     

Hormone-sensitive lipase is involved in hepatic cholesteryl ester hydrolysis

Hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) regulates the hydrolysis of acylglycerol and cholesteryl ester (CE) in various organs, including adipose tissues. However, the hepatic expression level of HSL has been reported to be almost negligible. In the present study, we found that mice lacking both leptin and HSL (Lep(ob/ob)/HSL(-/-)) showed massive accumulation of CE in the liver compared with Lep(ob/ob)/HSL(+/+) mice, while triacylglycerol (TG) accumulation was modest. Similarly, feeding with a high-cholesterol diet induced hepatic CE accumulation in HSL(-/-) mice. Supporting these observations, we detected significant expression of protein as well as mRNA of HSL in the liver. HSL(-/-) mice showed reduced activity of CE hydrolase, but not of TG lipase, in the liver compared with wild-type mice. Furthermore, we confirmed the expression of HSL in viable parenchymal cells isolated from wild-type mice. The hepatocytes from HSL(-/-) mice showed reduced activity of CE hydrolase and contained more CE than those from HSL(+/+) mice even without the incubation with lipoproteins. Incubation with LDL further augmented the accumulation of CE in the HSL-deficient hepatocytes. From these results, we conclude that HSL is involved in the hydrolysis of CE in hepatocyes.     

The use of phospholipid vesicles for in vitro studies on cholesteryl ester hydrolysis.

Radiolabeled cholesteryl oleate was incorporated into vesicles prepared from egg yolk lecithin and utilized as a substrate for studies of sterol ester hydrolases present in rat liver homogenates. The cholesteryl oleate was shown to be associated with vesicles (unilamellar liposomes) using Sepharose 4B chromatography. With this substrate, two different cholesteryl ester hydrolytic enzymes were demonstrated in subcellular fractions from the liver homogenates. In the lysosome-rich fraction an acid hydrolase was present, while in the cytosol fraction (150,000 g supernatant), hydrolytic activity was shown to occur with an optimum pH between 8 and 8.5. The substrate was characterized by Sepharose chromatography both before and after incubation with the liver fraction and was not dramatically altered even by rigorous incubation conditions. The lysosomal enzyme preparation was capable of hydrolyzing almost all the cholesteryl oleate in the vesicles. Hydrolysis of the phospholipid was proportionately much less than that of the cholesteryl oleate. Comparisons were performed between the vesicle preparation and an alternate substrate preparation involving the direct addition of cholesteryl oleate in acetone solution. The vesicles appeared to be a better substrate for the lysosomal enzyme whereas the activity in the cytosol fraction did not distinguish between the two substrate preparations. Unsonicated suspensions of cholesteryl oleate and lecithin did not serve as suitable substrates for the enzymes. These studies demonstrate the applicability of cholesteryl ester-containing vesicles as a useful substrate for studying cholesteryl ester hydrolysis in vitro.     

Effect of phospholipids on the hydrolysis of cholesterol oleate liquid crystals by lysosomal acid lipase

Cholesterol oleate liquid crystals were prepared in vitro as a model of lipid droplets accumulated in the atheromatous aorta. The hydrolysis of cholesterol oleate crystals by lysosomal acid lipase was examined in the presence and absence of various phospholipids. Phosphatidylserine markedly stimulated the hydrolysis of cholesterol oleate liquid crystals (20 times the basal value); it increased the Vmax value about 15 times and decreased the Km value to 1/20 times the basal value. The polar head group and the acyl chains of phosphatidylserine were required for its stimulation of hydrolysis.     

Effect of surface composition on triolein hydrolysis in phospholipid vesicles and microemulsions by a purified acid lipase

Sonicated dispersions of egg yolk phosphatidylcholine and triolein as vesicles and microemulsions have been used as substrates for the assay of a purified acid lipase. Previous studies have also shown that triolein localized in the surface phase of emulsions is the preferred substrate. In this study, we examined enzyme activity following several surface modifications using both vesicles and microemulsions. When the acidic phospholipids phosphatidylserine and phosphatidic acid were incorporated into both vesicles and microemulsions at up to 10 mol % of the total phospholipid, a dose-dependent reduction in the apparent Km was observed. Using the vesicles as substrate, a dose-dependent decrease in Vmax was also observed. Agarose gel electrophoresis was used to verify suspected changes in net particle charge. Analogous inclusion of phosphatidylethanolamine, sphingomyelin, or cholesterol did not affect kinetic parameters. Addition of oleic acid to sonication mixtures produced vesicles with a decreased apparent Km and Vmax, but triolein hydrolysis in microemulsions was not significantly altered. Triolein-containing vesicles prepared by using dimyristoyl- or dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine were hydrolyzed maximally at the gel liquid-crystalline transition temperatures of the appropriate phospholipid. Differential scanning calorimetry was used to verify the temperatures of transition in these vesicles. The results indicate that acid lipase activity is influenced by the charge or physical state of the surface phase of model substrates and suggest that degradation of core components of naturally occurring substrates such as lipoprotein may be influenced by chemical changes on the surface of these particles.     

Properties of cholesteryl oleate and triolein in mixed monolayers at the air-water interface

The properties of cholesteryl oleate and triolein in mixed monolayers at the air-water interface have been measured between 24 and 37 degrees C. Analysis of force-area curves obtained as a function of the mol fraction of cholesteryl oleate indicates that at relatively low surface pressures these compounds are miscible in two dimensions up to a limit of about 0.5 mol fraction. At higher pressures either cholesteryl oleate or both lipids are expelled from the monolayer to form a bulk phase which is in rapid equilibrium with the surface phase. In the monolayer phase, orientation of the ester function of cholesteryl oleate is toward the aqueous phase, interaction with triolein is minimal, and packing is uniform over the solubility range. This together with the susceptibility of the cholesteryl oleate to enzymatic hydrolysis, suggests the applicability of monolayer systems to the study of cholesterol esterase activity. Comparison of our results with the bulk properties of these lipids suggests that the expelled cholesteryl oleate exists as a smectic mesophase and thus the system may provide a model for studying the transfer of molecules between the interior and surface of lipid deposits of the type found in atherosclerotic lesions.     

Effect of dimethylsulfoxide on hydrolysis of lipase.

To establish an industrially feasible reaction process, the effect of dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) added to an aqueous solution on the hydrolysis of lipase was investigated using fluorescent substrates. Several lipases from microorganisms were improved in their hydrolysis activities against 4-methylumbelliferyl oleate by DMSO. Variation was found in the effect of DMSO depending on the species of lipase. After the high stability of the lipase from Pseudomonas fluorescens in DMSO solution was confirmed, hydrolysis by this lipase of four acyl-4-methylumbelliferones was studied kinetically at different DMSO concentrations. DMSO added to an aqueous solution increased the Vmax of this lipase for a substrate with strong hydrophobicity, and decreased that value for a substrate with an opposite property. On the other hand, DMSO had a very small effect on Km for each substrate. A fluorometric study suggested that DMSO induced a change of the chemical environment that surrounded tryptophan residues of the lipase. Such conformational change would be one of the causes of the DMSO-induced alteration of its reactive property. These results suggest that the addition of DMSO may be a novel method of 'solvent engineering' of this enzyme.     

Hormone-sensitive lipase is not required for cholesteryl ester hydrolysis in macrophages

Storage of cholesteryl esters in the cytoplasm of macrophages is one of the earliest and most ubiquitous event observed in the development of arteriosclerosis. Macrophages have an enormous capacity to uptake and store cholesterol in the form of cytosolic cholesteryl ester droplets. These stores are mobilized by the action of a neutral cholesteryl ester hydrolase (NCEH), producing free cholesterol that is either secreted to extracellular acceptors or reesterified. It has been proposed that hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) is responsible for the NCEH activity in macrophages. The present work shows, however, that peritoneal macrophages from HSL null mice hydrolyze cytosolic stores of cholesteryl esters at a comparable rate to that of peritoneal macrophages from wild-type mice, therefore demonstrating that HSL is not the main NCEH in macrophages.     

Lipoprotein lipase in rat lung. Effect of dexamethasone.

The effect of hormone administration on the activity of lipoprotein lipase in the lung was studied in the rat. The following hormones were administered: dexamethasone, L-thyroxine, estradiol-17beta and progesterone. In addition, lung lipoprotein lipase activity was studied in diabetic and lactating rats. Lipoprotein lipase activity was measured in dried, defatted preparations of rat lung using double labeled ([14C]palmitate, [3H]glycerol) chylomicron triacylglycerol as substrate. Dexamethasone administration caused a rise of 70% in the level of activity of lipoprotein lipase in acetone powders of lung and a 100% increase in the amount of enzyme released during heparin infusion into isolated, perfused lungs. Enzyme activity was higher in lungs of females than of male rats; however; the level of activity was unaffected by estrogen or progesterone administration to either male or ovariectomized rats. Diabetes, hyperthyroidism or lactation did not change lipoprotein lipase activity in the lung. The constant presence of lipoprotein lipase activity in the lung suggests that this organ is able to maintain a steady supply of triacylglycerol-fatty acids under a variety of physiological and pathological conditions. Stimulation of enzyme activity by dexamethasone could lead to increased uptake of triacylglycerol-fatty acids by the lung and may thus be a contributing factor to corticosteroid-induced enhanced surfactant synthesis.     

Role of apolipoprotein E in hepatic lipase catalyzed hydrolysis of phospholipid in high-density lipoproteins.

We reported earlier that hepatic lipase (HL)-catalyzed hydrolysis of phospholipid monolayers is activated by apolipoprotein (apo) E [Thuren et al. (1991b) J. Biol. Chem. 266, 4853-4861]. On the basis of these studies, it was postulated that apoE-rich high-density lipoproteins (HDL) were preferred substrates for HL. In the present study, we tested this hypothesis, as well as further characterizing the activation of HL hydrolysis of phospholipid by apoE. The apoE-rich HDL, referred to as HDL-I, were isolated by heparin-Sepharose chromatography, and the phospholipid hydrolysis by HL was compared to an apoE-poor HDL, designated HDL-II. The hydrolysis of HDL-I phosphatidylcholine was approximately 3-fold higher than HDL-II, supporting the hypothesis that HL preferably hydrolyzes the phospholipids in apoE-rich HDL. In order to gain additional insight into the nature of the activation, we used phospholipid monolayers as model systems. Comparison of the ability of the two thrombolytic fragments of apoE (22 kDa, residues 1-191; 12 kDa, residues 192-299) revealed that only the 12-kDa fragment was capable of activating the hydrolysis of phospholipid by HL (1.75-fold). However, activation was less than with the intact protein (2.8-fold for apoE3), suggesting that the intact protein was required for full activation. The fact that the 12-kDa fragment, which represents a major lipid region of the protein, did activate HL suggests that activation occurs at the lipid-water interface.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Continuous monitoring of cholesterol oleate hydrolysis by hormone-sensitive lipase and other cholesterol esterases

Hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) contributes importantly to the hydrolysis of cholesteryl ester in steroidogenic tissues, releasing the cholesterol required for adrenal steroidogenesis. HSL has broad substrate specificity, because it hydrolyzes triacylglycerols (TAGs), diacylglycerols, monoacylglycerols, and cholesteryl esters. In this study, we developed a specific cholesterol esterase assay using cholesterol oleate (CO) dispersed in phosphatidylcholine and gum arabic by sonication. To continuously monitor the hydrolysis of CO by HSL, we used the pH-stat technique. For the sake of comparison, the hydrolysis of CO dispersion was also tested using other cholesteryl ester-hydrolyzing enzymes. The specific activities measured on CO were found to be 18, 100, 27, and 3 micromol/min/mg for HSL, cholesterol esterase from Pseudomonas species, Candida rugosa lipase-3, and cholesterol esterase from bovine pancreas, respectively. The activity of HSL on CO is approximately 4- to 5-fold higher than on long-chain TAGs. In contrast, with all other enzymes tested, the rates of TAG hydrolysis were higher than those of CO hydrolysis. The relatively higher turnover of HSL on CO observed in vitro adds further molecular insight on the physiological importance of HSL in cholesteryl ester catabolism in vivo. Thus, HSL could be considered more as a cholesteryl ester hydrolase than as a TAG lipase.     

Evidence for selective hydrolysis of aliphatic copolyesters induced by lipase catalysis

High molar mass random poly(butylene succinate-co-butylene sebacate), P(BS-co-BSe), and poly(butylene succinate-co-butylene adipate), P(BS-co-BA), with different composition, were synthesized and subjected to enzymatic hydrolysis by Lipase from Mucor miehei or from Rhizopus arrhizus. The enzymatic hydrolysis of P(BS-co-BSe)s and P(BS-co-BA)s films produced a mixture of water-soluble monomers and co-oligomers that were separated and identified by on-line high performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HPLC/ESI-MS). Optimization of the HPLC analysis allowed the separation of isobar co-oligomers, differing only for the co-monomers sequence. Oligomers with the same monomer composition and molar mass but different sequence were identified by HPLC/ESI-MS-MS on-line analysis. The results obtained show a preferential hydrolytic cleavage induced by the lipases used. In particular, these enzymes prefer cleaving sebacic ester bonds in P(BS-co-BSe) copolymers, whereas succinic ester bonds appear to be hydrolyzed faster than adipic ester bonds in P(BS-co-BA) copolyesters. 1H NMR analysis further substantiates these findings. The primary products generated by lipase hydrolysis of polyester films underwent further degradation at longer reaction times. The HPLC/ESI-MS analysis of these mixtures at various times provided the first evidence that lipase catalysis is active also in water solution, a hydrophobic effect induced by the aliphatic units of these polyesters.     

Conformation of the oleate chains in crystals of cholesteryl oleate at 123 K

At 123 K, crystals of cholesteryl cis-9-octadecenoate (cholesteryl oleate, C45H78O2) are monoclinic, space group P2(1) with unit cell dimensions a = 12.356(2), b = 8.980(3), c = 18.382(2) A, beta = 85.49(2) degrees, and have two molecules in the unit cell. The crystal structure including all H atoms has been determined from 3812 independent X-ray reflections with sin theta/lambda less than 0.61 A-1 and refined to give Rw = 0.08. At 123 K, the crystal structure consists of an antiparallel efficient packing of cholesteryl ring systems to form layers that are very similar to those observed in the room temperature structure. The oleate chains that protrude from these layers have a somewhat different packing arrangement from the room temperature structure because they have undergone a conformational change. At 123 K, the oleate chains are well ordered and are almost fully extended except for a kink at the cis double bond. The oleate chains at 123 K are 1.7 A longer than at 295 K due in part to an uncoiling whereby their helical character is lost. On cooling, there is a substantial change in the unit cell beta-angle from obtuse (93.3 degrees) to acute (85.5 degrees) which involves a shearing motion of 2.5 A between adjacent molecular layers. Cell dimension measurements at 10 temperatures in the range 295 K to 123 K show that much of the change occurs in two narrow ranges centered at 262 K and 215 K.     

Effects of phospholipids on hydrolysis of trioleoylglycerol by human serum carboxylesterase

Human serum carboxylesterase (EC 3.1.1.1), purified by affinity chromatography on trimethylammonium anilinium-Sepharose, hydrolyzed the short-chain fatty acid ester tributyrin (40 mumol/mg protein per h), but scarcely hydrolyzed the long-chain fatty acid ester triolein (less than 0.2 mumol/mg protein per h). Phospholipids enhanced triolein hydrolysis by carboxylesterase to various extents, cardiolipin causing the most enhancement (2.5 mumol/mg protein per h). Phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylinositol also enhanced carboxylesterase-catalyzed hydrolysis of triolein (450-980 nmol/mg protein per h). The optimal pH for tributyrin hydrolysis was pH 8.0, but the pH range for triolein hydrolysis was broad, being pH 4.5-7.5. The rates of hydrolyses of monoolein, diolein and triolein by carboxylesterase in the absence and presence of 100 micrograms/ml cardiolipin were 3.9, 0.5 and 0.2 mumol/mg esterase per h and 2.0, 0.6 and 4.0 mumol/mg protein per h, respectively. Thus, on addition of cardiolipin, triolein hydrolysis was enhanced, but tributyrin hydrolysis was reciprocally decreased. Triton X-100 (0.1%) and NaCl (1.0 M) decreased triolein hydrolysis, but did not decrease tributyrin hydrolysis. Mercaptoethanol decreased triolein hydrolysis, but not tributyrin hydrolysis. These results suggest that cardiolipin modifies the interaction of carboxylesterase with substrates in such a way as to facilitate its interaction with a hydrophobic substrate, and that disulfide bonding might be involved in the substrate recognition site.     

Lipoprotein lipase and hepatic lipase activities in a hypercholesterolaemic (RICO) strain of rat. Effect of dietary cholesterol.

Hepatic lipase (HL) and lipoprotein lipase (LPL) were assayed in heparinized plasma from male normocholesterolaemic (SW) and genetically hypercholesterolaemic (RICO) rats. Both strains were fed on either a semi-purified control diet or the same diet enriched with 0.5% or 1% cholesterol. HL activity was similar in both groups of rats fed on the control diet. LPL activity was found to be significantly lower in RICO rats (35% decrease, P less than 0.05). Feeding with a high-cholesterol diet led to a decrease in HL activity (15-23%) in both groups of rats but no change was detected in LPL activity, which remained consistently lower in the RICO rats. Thus, with the control diet, LPL activity is lower in RICO rats but presumably is not rate-limiting for their triacylglycerol clearance, given the normal triacylglycerol levels present. After cholesterol feeding, however, the lower LPL activity may become rate-limiting together with the decrease in HL activity, as in these circumstances hypertriacylglycerolaemia was evident and the hypercholesterolaemia of this strain was further increased.     

Lipoprotein lipase activity in bovine aorta.

A lipoprotein lipase in the bovine arterial wall has been identified and partially characterized. The enzyme has a Km apparent of 1 mM for triolein in a phosphatidylcholine stabilized emulsion. The lipase was stimulated 20- to 30-fold by the addition of heated rat plasma to the assay medium. The activity exhibited a pH optimum at 8.6. Protamine sulfate (1.0 mg/ml) inhibited the activity by 50%, whereas 1.4 M sodium chloride inhibited by 85%. Sodium fluoride, an inhibitor of the hormone-sensitive lipase, had no effect on the activity. Additions of low concentrations of heparin or Ca-2+ to the enzyme caused a slight stimulation of the lipolytic activity. A crude sectioning of the aorta revealed specific activity of lipoprotein lipase to be highest at the endothelial side of the artery.     

Triacylglycerol and phospholipid hydrolysis in human plasma lipoproteins: role of lipoprotein and hepatic lipase.

To explore the interactions of triacylglycerol and phospholipid hydrolysis in lipoprotein conversions and remodeling, we compared the activities of lipoprotein and hepatic lipases on human VLDL, IDL, LDL, and HDL2. Triacylglycerol and phospholipid hydrolysis by each enzyme were measured concomitantly in each lipoprotein class by measuring hydrolysis of [14C]triolein and [3H]dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine incorporated into each lipoprotein by lipid transfer processes. Hepatic lipase was 2-3 times more efficient than lipoprotein lipase at hydrolyzing phospholipid both in absolute terms and in relation to triacylglycerol hydrolysis in all lipoproteins. The relationship between phospholipid hydrolysis and triacylglycerol hydrolysis was generally linear until half of particle triacylglycerol was hydrolyzed. For either enzyme acting on a single lipoprotein fraction, the degree of phosphohydrolysis closely correlated with triacylglycerol hydrolysis and was largely independent of the kinetics of hydrolysis, suggesting that triacylglycerol removed from a lipoprotein core is an important determinant of phospholipid removal via hydrolysis by the lipase. Phospholipid hydrolysis relative to triacylglycerol hydrolysis was most efficient in VLDL followed in descending order by IDL, HDL, and LDL. Even with hepatic lipase, phospholipid hydrolysis could not deplete VLDL and IDL of sufficient phospholipid molecules to account for the loss of surface phospholipid that accompanies triacylglycerol hydrolysis and decreasing core volume as LDL is formed (or for conversion of HDL2 to HDL3). Thus, shedding of whole phospholipid molecules, presumably in liposomal-like particles, must be a major mechanism for losing excess surface lipid as large lipoprotein particles are converted to smaller particles. Also, this shedding phenomenon, like phospholipid hydrolysis, is closely related to the hydrolysis of lipoprotein triacylglycerol.     

Lipoprotein lipase enhances the cholesteryl ester transfer protein-mediated transfer of cholesteryl esters from high density lipoproteins to very low density lipoproteins

These studies were undertaken to examine the effects of lipoprotein lipase (LPL) and cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) on the transfer of cholesteryl esters from high density lipoproteins (HDL) to very low density lipoproteins (VLDL). Human or rat VLDL was incubated with human HDL in the presence of either partially purified CETP, bovine milk LPL or CETP plus LPL. CETP stimulated both isotopic and mass transfer of cholesteryl esters from HDL into VLDL. LPL caused only slight stimulation of cholesteryl ester transfer. However, when CETP and LPL were both present, the transfer of cholesteryl esters from HDL into VLDL remnants was enhanced 2- to 8-fold, compared to the effects of CETP alone. The synergistic effects of CETP and LPL on cholesteryl ester transfer were more pronounced at higher VLDL/HDL ratios and increased with increasing amounts of CETP. In time course studies the stimulation of cholesteryl ester transfer activity occurred during active triglyceride hydrolysis. When lipolysis was inhibited by incubating LPL with either 1 M NaCl or 2 mM diethylparanitrophenyl phosphate, the synergism of CETP and LPL was reduced or abolished, and LPL alone did not stimulate cholesteryl ester transfer. These experiments show that LPL enhances the CETP-mediated transfer of cholesteryl esters from HDL to VLDL. This property of LPL is related to lipolysis.     

Lipoprotein lipase-catalyzed hydrolysis of phospholipid monolayers: effect of fatty acyl composition on enzyme activity

The phospholipase A1 activity of lipoprotein lipase (LpL) was determined with monomolecular phospholipid films. Rates of phospholipid hydrolysis were dependent on apolipoprotein C-II (the activator protein for LpL) phospholipid fatty acyl composition, and lipid-packing density. In sphingomyelin: cholesterol (2:1, molar) monolayers containing 5 mol % disaturated phosphatidylcholines (PC) and at a surface pressure of 22 mNm-1, rates of LpL hydrolysis of diC14:0PC, diC16:0PC, and diC18:0PC were 74, 207, and 65 nmol h-1 mg LpL-1, respectively. At 22 mNm-1, phospholipids containing unsaturated fatty acyl chains were hydrolyzed at rates 5-10 times greater than saturated lipids. At higher lipid packing densities, the difference in hydrolysis rates between saturated and unsaturated lipids was less apparent. Comparison of molecular areas indicate no simple dependency between the rate of LpL catalysis and phospholipid fatty acyl chain length and saturation/unsaturation.     

Lipoprotein lipase and acid lipase activity in rabbit brain microvessels.

A preparation of cerebral microvessels was used to demonstrate the presence of lipoprotein lipase and acid lipase activity in the microvasculature of rabbit brain. Microvessels, consisting predominantly of capillaries, small arterioles, and venules, were islated from rabbit brain. Homogenates were assayed for lipolytic activity using a glycerol-stabilized trioleoylglycerol-phospholipid emulsion as substrate. Lipoprotein lipase activity was characterized with this substrate by previously established criteria including an alkaline pH optimum, increased activity in the presence of heparin and heat-inactivated plasma, and reduced activity in the presence of NaCl and protamine sulfate. A different substrate, containing trioleoylglycerol incorporated into phospholipid vesicles, was used to reveal acid lipase activity that was not affected by heparin, plasma, NaCl, or protamine sulfate. Lipoprotein lipase did not show activity with the vesicle preparation as substrate. Intact microvessels, when incubated in the presence of heparin, release lipoprotein lipase into the incubation solution. In contrast, release of acid lipase activity from intact microvessels was not dependent on heparin. The data show the presence of both lipoprotein lipase and acid lipase in brain microvessels and suggest that lipoproteins are metabolized within the cerebral vasculature.