The cell and molecular biology of apolipoprotein E synthesis by macrophages

Autocrine Effects of Brain Endothelial Cell-Produced Human Apolipoprotein E on Metabolism and Inflammation in vitro

Reports of APOE4-associated neurovascular dysfunction during aging and in neurodegenerative disorders has led to ongoing research to identify underlying mechanisms. In this study, we focused on whether the APOE genotype of brain endothelial cells modulates their own phenotype. We utilized a modified primary mouse brain endothelial cell isolation protocol that enabled us to perform experiments without subculture. Through initial characterization we found, that compared to APOE3, APOE4 brain endothelial cells produce less apolipoprotein E (apoE) and have altered metabolic and inflammatory gene expression profiles. Further analysis revealed APOE4 brain endothelial cultures have higher preference for oxidative phosphorylation over glycolysis and, accordingly, higher markers of mitochondrial activity. Mitochondrial activity generates reactive oxygen species, and, with APOE4, there were higher mitochondrial superoxide levels, lower levels of antioxidants related to heme and glutathione and higher markers/outcomes of oxidative damage to proteins and lipids. In parallel, or resulting from reactive oxygen species, there was greater inflammation in APOE4 brain endothelial cells including higher chemokine levels and immune cell adhesion under basal conditions and after low-dose lipopolysaccharide (LPS) treatment. In addition, paracellular permeability was higher in APOE4 brain endothelial cells in basal conditions and after high-dose LPS treatment. Finally, we found that a nuclear receptor Rev-Erb agonist, SR9009, improved functional metabolic markers, lowered inflammation and modulated paracellular permeability at baseline and following LPS treatment in APOE4 brain endothelial cells. Together, our data suggest that autocrine signaling of apoE in brain endothelial cells represents a novel cellular mechanism for how APOE regulates neurovascular function.

Vascular smooth muscle cell loss underpins the accelerated atherosclerosis in Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome

Lamin A, a product of the LMNA gene, is an essential nuclear envelope component in most differentiated cells. Mutations in LMNA have been linked to premature aging disorders, including Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS). HGPS is caused by progerin, an aberrant form of lamin A that leads to premature death, typically from the complications of atherosclerotic disease. A key characteristic of HGPS is a severe loss of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) in the arteries. Various mouse models of HGPS have been created, but few of them feature VSMC depletion and none develops atherosclerosis, the death-causing symptom of the disease in humans. We recently generated a mouse model that recapitulates most features of HGPS, including VSMC loss and accelerated atherosclerosis. Furthermore, by generating cell-type–specific HGPS mouse models, we have demonstrated a central role of VSMC loss in progerin-induced atherosclerosis and premature death.

Apoproteins E, A-I, and SAA in Macrophage Pathobiology Related to Atherogenesis

Macrophages are core cellular elements of both early and advanced atherosclerosis. They take up modified lipoproteins and become lipid-loaded foam cells and secrete factors that influence other cell types in the artery wall involved in atherogenesis. Apoproteins E, AI, and SAA are all found on HDL which can enter the artery wall. In addition, apoE is synthesized by macrophages. These three apoproteins can promote cholesterol efflux from lipid-loaded macrophages and have other functions that modulate macrophage biology. Mimetic peptides based on the sequence or structure of these apoproteins replicate some of these properties and are potential therapeutic agents for the treatment of atherosclerosis to reduce cardiovascular diseases.

Adaptive immunity against gut microbiota enhances apoE-mediated immune regulation and reduces atherosclerosis and western-diet-related inflammation

Common features of immune-metabolic and inflammatory diseases such as metabolic syndrome, diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular diseases are an altered gut microbiota composition and a systemic pro-inflammatory state. We demonstrate that active immunization against the outer membrane protein of bacteria present in the gut enhances local and systemic immune control via apoE-mediated immune-modulation. Reduction of western-diet-associated inflammation was obtained for more than eighteen weeks after immunization. Immunized mice had reduced serum cytokine levels, reduced insulin and fasting glucose concentrations; and gene expression in both liver and visceral adipose tissue confirmed a reduced inflammatory steady-state after immunization. Moreover, both gut and atherosclerotic plaques of immunized mice showed reduced inflammatory cells and an increased M2 macrophage fraction. These results suggest that adaptive responses directed against microbes present in our microbiota have systemic beneficial consequences and demonstrate the key role of apoE in this mechanism that could be exploited to treat immune-metabolic diseases.

ApoE production in human monocytes and its regulation by inflammatory cytokines

The apoE production by tissue macrophages is crucial for the prevention of atherosclerosis and the aim of this study was to further elucidate how this apolipoprotein is regulated by cytokines present during inflammation. Here we studied apoE production in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and analysis was made with a newly developed apoE ELISpot assay. In PBMC, apoE secretion was restricted to monocytes with classical (CD14⁺⁺CD16⁻) and intermediate (CD14⁺CD16⁺) monocytes being the main producers. As earlier described for macrophages, production was strongly upregulated by TGF-β and downregulated by bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and the inflammatory cytokines IFN-γ, TNF-α and IL-1β. We could here show that a similar down-regulatory effect was also observed with the type I interferon, IFN-α, while IL-6, often regarded as one of the more prominent inflammatory cytokines, did not affect TGF-β-induced apoE production. The TNF-α inhibitor Enbrel could partly block the down-regulatory effect of IFN-γ, IFN-α and IL-1β, indicating that inhibition of apoE by these cytokines may be dependent on or synergize with TNF-α. Other cytokines tested, IL-2, IL-4, IL-12, IL-13, IL-17A and IL-23, had no inhibitory effect on apoE production. In contrast to the effect on monocytes, apoE production by primary hepatocytes and the hepatoma cell line HepG2 was more or less unaffected by treatment with cytokines or LPS.

Protein kinase C controls vesicular transport and secretion of apolipoprotein E from primary human macrophages

Macrophage-specific apolipoprotein E (apoE) secretion plays an important protective role in atherosclerosis. However, the precise signaling mechanisms regulating apoE secretion from primary human monocyte-derived macrophages (HMDMs) remain unclear. Here we investigate the role of protein kinase C (PKC) in regulating basal and stimulated apoE secretion from HMDMs. Treatment of HMDMs with structurally distinct pan-PKC inhibitors (calphostin C, Ro-31-8220, Go6976) and a PKC inhibitory peptide all significantly decreased apoE secretion without significantly affecting apoE mRNA or apoE protein levels. The PKC activator phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) stimulated apoE secretion, and both PMA-induced and apoAI-induced apoE secretion were inhibited by PKC inhibitors. PKC regulation of apoE secretion was found to be independent of the ATP binding cassette transporter ABCA1. Live cell imaging demonstrated that PKC inhibitors inhibited vesicular transport of apoE to the plasma membrane. Pharmacological or peptide inhibitor and knockdown studies indicate that classical isoforms PKCα/β and not PKCδ, -ε, -θ, or -ι/ζ isoforms regulate apoE secretion from HMDMs. The activity of myristoylated alanine-rich protein kinase C substrate (MARCKS) correlated with modulation of PKC activity in these cells, and direct peptide inhibition of MARCKS inhibited apoE secretion, implicating MARCKS as a downstream effector of PKC in apoE secretion. Comparison with other secreted proteins indicated that PKC similarly regulated secretion of matrix metalloproteinase 9 and chitinase-3-like-1 protein but differentially affected the secretion of other proteins. In conclusion, PKC regulates the secretion of apoE from primary human macrophages.

Heterogeneous expression of apolipoprotein-E by human macrophages

Apolipoprotein-E (apoE) is expressed at high levels by macrophages. In addition to its role in lipid transport, macrophage-derived apoE plays an important role in immunoregulation. Previous studies have identified macrophage subpopulations that differ substantially in their ability to synthesize specific cytokines and enzymes, however, potential heterogeneous macrophage apoE expression has not been studied. Here we examined apoE expression in human THP-1 macrophages and monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM). Using immunocytochemistry and flow cytometry methods we reveal a striking heterogeneity in macrophage apoE expression in both cell types. In phorbol-ester-differentiated THP-1 macrophages, 5% of the cells over-expressed apoE at levels more than 50-fold higher than the rest of the population. ApoE over-expressing THP-1 macrophages contained condensed/fragmented nuclei and increased levels of activated caspase-3 indicating induction of apoptosis. In MDM, 3-5% of the cells also highly over-expressed apoE, up to 50-fold higher than the rest of the population; however, this was not associated with obvious nuclear alterations. The apoE over-expressing MDM were larger, more granular, and more autofluorescent than the majority of cells and they contained numerous vesicle-like structures that appeared to be coated by apoE. Flow cytometry experiments indicated that the apoE over-expressing subpopulation of MDM were positive for CD14, CD11b/Mac-1 and CD68. These observations suggest that specific macrophage subpopulations may be important for apoE-mediated immunoregulation and clearly indicate that subpopulation heterogeneity should be taken into account when investigating macrophage apoE expression.

Increased apolipoprotein E and c-fms gene expression without elevated interleukin 1 or 6 mRNA levels indicates selective activation of macrophage functions in advanced human atheroma

Cells found within atherosclerotic lesions can produce in culture protein mediators that may participate in atherogenesis. To test whether human atheromata actually contain transcripts for certain of these genes, we compared levels of mRNAs in carotid or coronary atheromata and in nonatherosclerotic human vessels by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of cDNAs reverse-transcribed from RNA. We measured PCR products (generated during exponential amplification) by incorporation of 32P-labeled primers. Levels of interleukin 1 alpha, 1 beta, or 6 mRNAs in plaques and controls did not differ. Compared to uninvolved vessels, plaques did contain higher levels of mRNA encoding platelet-derived growth factor A chain (42 +/- 24 vs. 12 +/- 10 fmol of product; mean +/- SD; n = 8 and 8, respectively; P = 0.007) and B chain (41 +/- 36 vs. 4 +/- 3 fmol of product, n = 14 and 6, respectively; P = 0.024). Atherosclerotic lesions consistently had much higher levels of apolipoprotein E (apoE) mRNA than did control vessels (131 +/- 71 vs. 5 +/- 3 fmol of product; n = 12 and 10, respectively; P less than 0.001). Direct RNA blot analyses confirmed elevated levels of apoE mRNA in plaque extracts. To test whether mononuclear phagocytes might be a source of the apoE mRNA, we studied a selective marker for cells of the monocytic lineage, the c-fms protooncogene, which encodes the receptor for macrophage colony-stimulating factor. Plaques also contained elevated levels of c-fms mRNA (30 +/- 17 vs. 5 +/- 3 fmol of product; n = 10 and 7, respectively; P = 0.002). Immunohistochemical colocalization demonstrated apoE protein in association with macrophages in plaques, whereas nonatherosclerotic vessels showed no immunoreactive apoE. ApoE produced locally in atheroma might modulate the functions of lesional T cells or promote "reverse cholesterol transport" by associating with high density lipoprotein particles, thus targeting them for peripheral uptake. Macrophages within the advanced human atheroma appear to exhibit a selective program of activation as they express high levels of apoE, whereas overall levels of interleukin 1 or 6 mRNAs in plaques are not elevated.

CD16. Developmentally regulated IgG Fc receptors on cultured human monocytes

We have demonstrated that one Fc receptor for IgG (FcR) (CD16) on cultured human monocytes appears to be a developmentally regulated membrane protein. This receptor appears to contain less carbohydrate (if any) than does its counterpart on human neutrophils. Expression of CD16 on cultured monocytes increases with respect to both percentage of positive cells and numbers of sites per cell with length of time in culture. This was in contrast to expression of other types of FcRs that either decreased (CDw32) or did not change (FcRp72). Unlike an FcR that binds monomeric IgG (FcRp72), expression of CD16 on monocytes from most normal individuals was not influenced by IFN-gamma. After 14 d in culture, CD16 appeared to be the predominant FcR on cultured monocytes, and was capable of mediating both ligand attachment and phagocytosis. These findings support the hypothesis that CD16 plays an important role in mediating immunophagocytosis.