Importance of the free sulfhydryl groups of lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase for its sensitivity to oxidative inactivation

Lycopene-rich diets modulate HDL functionality and associated inflammatory markers without affecting lipoprotein size and distribution in moderately overweight, disease-free, middle-aged adults: A randomized controlled trial

Background

The consumption of lycopene-rich foods may lower cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. Lycopene circulates in the blood bound to lipoproteins, including high-density lipoproteins (HDLs). Preliminary data from our group showed that increased consumption of tomato-based food or lycopene supplement in middle-aged subjects led to functional changes to HDL's sub-fractions, HDL₂ and HDL₃. These changes were also associated with a decrease in serum amyloid A (SAA), potentially enhancing their anti-atherogenic properties.

Objective

We carried out a comprehensive randomized controlled intervention trial with healthy middle-aged volunteers to assess whether the consumption of tomato-based foods or lycopene supplements affects HDL functionality and associated inflammatory markers, and lipoprotein subfractions size and distribution.

Design

Volunteers (225, aged 40–65 years) were randomly assigned to one of three dietary intervention groups and asked to consume a control diet (low in tomato-based foods, <10 mg lycopene/week), a lycopene-rich diet (224–350 mg lycopene/week), or the control diet with a lycopene supplement (70 mg lycopene/week). HDL₂ and HDL₃ were isolated by ultracentrifugation. Compliance was monitored by assessing lycopene concentration in serum. Systemic and HDL-associated inflammation was assessed by measuring SAA concentrations. HDL functionality was determined by monitoring paraoxonase-1 (PON-1), cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP), and lecithin cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) activities. The lipoprotein subfractions profile was assessed by NMR.

Results

Lycopene in serum and HDL significantly increased following consumption of both the high tomato diet and lycopene supplement (p ≤ 0.001 for both). Lycopene, either as a tomato-rich food or a supplement, enhanced both serum- and HDL₃-PON-1 activities (p ≤ 0.001 and p = 0.036, respectively), while significantly reducing HDL₃-SAA-related inflammation (p = 0.001). Lycopene supplement also significantly increased HDL₃-LCAT activity (p = 0.05), and reduced the activity of both HDL₂- and HDL₃-CETP (p = 0.005 and p = 0.002, respectively). These changes were not associated with changes in the subclasses distribution for all lipoprotein fractions or the size of lipoprotein subclasses.

Conclusion

Our results showed that dietary lycopene can significantly enhance HDL functionality, without associated changes in particle size and distribution, by modulating the activity of HDL-associated enzymes. Concomitantly, dietary lycopene significantly decreased serum- and HDL₃-associated SAA, confirming that SAA may represent a sensitive inflammatory biomarker to dietary change.

Clinical Trial Register

(https://www.isrctn.com), ISRCTN34203810.

Modification of High-Density Lipoprotein Functions by Diet and Other Lifestyle Changes: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials

High-density lipoprotein (HDL) functional traits have emerged as relevant elements that may explain HDL antiatherogenic capacity better than HDL cholesterol levels. These properties have been improved in several lifestyle intervention trials. The aim of this systematic review is to summarize the results of such trials of the most commonly used dietary modifications (fatty acids, cholesterol, antioxidants, alcohol, and calorie restriction) and physical activity. Articles were screened from the Medline database until March 2021, and 118 randomized controlled trials were selected. Results from HDL functions and associated functional components were extracted, including cholesterol efflux capacity, cholesteryl ester transfer protein, lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase, HDL antioxidant capacity, HDL oxidation status, paraoxonase-1 activity, HDL anti-inflammatory and endothelial protection capacity, HDL-associated phospholipase A2, HDL-associated serum amyloid A, and HDL-alpha-1-antitrypsin. In mainly short-term clinical trials, the consumption of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids (particularly omega-3 in fish), and dietary antioxidants showed benefits to HDL functionality, especially in subjects with cardiovascular risk factors. In this regard, antioxidant-rich dietary patterns were able to improve HDL function in both healthy individuals and subjects at high cardiovascular risk. In addition, in randomized trial assays performed mainly in healthy individuals, reverse cholesterol transport with ethanol in moderate quantities enhanced HDL function. Nevertheless, the evidence summarized was of unclear quality and short-term nature and presented heterogeneity in lifestyle modifications, trial designs, and biochemical techniques for the assessment of HDL functions. Such findings should therefore be interpreted with caution. Large-scale, long-term, randomized, controlled trials in different populations and individuals with diverse pathologies are warranted.

Dietary Strategies to Improve Cardiovascular Health: Focus on Increasing High-Density Lipoprotein Functionality

Cardiovascular disease is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide, with increasing incidence. A cornerstone of cardiovascular disease prevention is lifestyle modification through dietary changes to influence various risk factors such as obesity, hypertension and diabetes. The effects of diet on cardiovascular health are complex. Some dietary components and metabolites directly affect the composition and structure of high-density lipoproteins (HDL) and increase anti-inflammatory and vasoprotective properties. HDLs are composed of distinct subpopulations of particles of varying size and composition that have several dynamic and context-dependent functions. The identification of potential dietary components that improve HDL functionality is currently an important research goal. One of the best-studied diets for cardiovascular health is the Mediterranean diet, consisting of fish, olive oil, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes/nuts, and moderate consumption of alcohol, most commonly red wine. The Mediterranean diet, especially when supplemented with extra virgin olive oil rich in phenolic compounds, has been shown to markedly improve metrics of HDL functionality and reduce the burden, or even prevent the development of cardiovascular disease. Particularly, the phenolic compounds of extra virgin olive oil seem to exert the significant positive effects on HDL function. Moreover, supplementation of anthocyanins as well as antioxidants such as lycopene or the omega-3 fatty acid eicosapentaenoic acid improve parameters of HDL function. In this review, we aim to highlight recent discoveries on beneficial dietary patterns as well as nutritional components and their effects on cardiovascular health, focusing on HDL function.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil Prevents the Age-Related Shifts of the Distribution of HDL Subclasses and Improves Their Functionality

High-density lipoproteins (HDL) maintain cholesterol homeostasis through the role they play in regulating reverse cholesterol transport (RCT), a process by which excess cholesterol is transported back to the liver for elimination. However, RCT can be altered in the presence of cardiovascular risk factors, such as aging, which contributes to the increase in the incidence of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). The present study was aimed at investigating the effect of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) intake on the cholesterol efflux capacity (CEC) of HDL, and to elucidate on the mechanisms by which EVOO intake improves the anti-atherogenic activity of HDL. A total of 84 healthy women and men were enrolled and were distributed, according to age, into two groups: 27 young (31.81 ± 6.79 years) and 57 elderly (70.72 ± 5.6 years) subjects. The subjects in both groups were given 25 mL/d of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) for 12 weeks. CEC was measured using J774 macrophages radiolabeled with tritiated cholesterol ((³H) cholesterol). HDL subclass distributions were analyzed using the Quantimetrix Lipoprint® system. The HDL from the elderly subjects exhibited a lower level of CEC, at 11.12% (p < 0.0001), than the HDL from the young subjects. The CEC of the elderly subjects returned to normal levels following 12 weeks of EVOO intake. An analysis of the distribution of HDL subclasses showed that HDL from the elderly subjects were composed of lower levels of large HDL (L-HDL) (p < 0.03) and higher levels of small HDL (S-HDL) (p < 0.002) compared to HDL from the young subjects. A multiple linear regression analysis revealed a positive correlation between CEC and L-HDL levels (r = 0.35 and p < 0.001) as well as an inverse correlation between CEC and S-HDL levels (r = −0.27 and p < 0.01). This correlation remained significant even when several variables, including age, sex, and BMI as well as low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and glucose levels (β = 0.28, p < 0.002, and β = 0.24, p = 0.01) were accounted for. Consuming EVOO for 12 weeks modulated the age-related difference in the distribution of HDL subclasses by reducing the level of S-HDL and increasing the level of intermediate-HDL/large-HDL (I-HDL/L-HDL) in the elderly subjects. The age-related alteration of the CEC of HDL was due, in part, to an alteration in the distribution of HDL subclasses. A diet enriched in EVOO improved the functionality of HDL through an increase in I-HDL/L-HDL and a decrease in S-HDL.

Metabolic and Vascular Effect of the Mediterranean Diet

Several studies indicated how dietary patterns that were obtained from nutritional cluster analysis can predict disease risk or mortality. Low-grade chronic inflammation represents a background pathogenetic mechanism linking metabolic risk factors to increased risk of chronic degenerative diseases. A Mediterranean diet (MeDi) style has been reported as associated with a lower degree of inflammation biomarkers and with a protective role on cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events. There is heterogeneity in defining the MedDiet, and it can, owing to its complexity, be considered as an exposome with thousands of nutrients and phytochemicals. Recently, it has been reported a novel positive association between baseline plasma ceramide concentrations and cardiovascular events and how adherence to a Mediterranean Diet-style may influence the potential negative relationship between elevated plasma ceramide concentrations and cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Several randomized controlled trials (RCTs) showed the positive effects of the MeDi diet style on several cardiovascular risk factors, such as body mass index, waist circumference, blood lipids, blood pressure, inflammatory markers and adhesion molecules, and diabetes and how these advantages of the MeDi are maintained in comparison of a low-fat diet. Some studies reported a positive effect of adherence to a Mediterranean Diet and heart failure incidence, whereas some recent studies, such as the PREDIMED study, showed that the incidence of major cardiovascular events was lower among those assigned to MeDi supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil or nuts than among those assigned to a reduced-fat diet. New studies are needed to better understand the molecular mechanisms, whereby the MedDiet may exercise its effects. Here, we present recent advances in understanding the molecular basis of MedDiet effects, mainly focusing on cardiovascular diseases, but also discussing other related diseases. We review MedDiet composition and assessment as well as the latest advances in the genomic, epigenomic (DNA methylation, histone modifications, microRNAs, and other emerging regulators), transcriptomic (selected genes and whole transcriptome), and metabolomic and metagenomic aspects of the MedDiet effects (as a whole and for its most typical food components). We also present a review of the clinical effects of this dietary style underlying the biochemical and molecular effects of the Mediterranean diet. Our purpose is to review the main features of the Mediterranean diet in particular its benefits on human health, underling the anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and anti-atherosclerotic effects to which new knowledge about epigenetic and gut-microbiota relationship is recently added.

Mediterranean Diet Improves High-Density Lipoprotein Function in High-Cardiovascular-Risk Individuals: A Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND

The biological functions of high-density lipoproteins (HDLs) contribute to explaining the cardioprotective role of the lipoprotein beyond quantitative HDL cholesterol levels. A few small-scale interventions with a single antioxidant have improved some HDL functions. However, to date, no long-term, large-scale, randomized controlled trial has been conducted to assess the effects of an antioxidant-rich dietary pattern (such as a traditional Mediterranean diet [TMD]) on HDL function in humans.

METHODS

This study was performed in a random subsample of volunteers from the PREDIMED Study (Prevención con Dieta Mediterránea; n=296) after a 1-year intervention. We compared the effects of 2 TMDs, one enriched with virgin olive oil (TMD-VOO; n=100) and the other enriched with nuts (TMD-Nuts; n=100), with respect to a low-fat control diet (n=96). We assessed the effects of both TMDs on the role of HDL particles on reverse cholesterol transport (cholesterol efflux capacity, HDL ability to esterify cholesterol, and cholesteryl ester transfer protein activity), HDL antioxidant properties (paraoxonase-1 arylesterase activity and total HDL antioxidant capacity on low-density lipoproteins), and HDL vasodilatory capacity (HDL ability to induce the release of nitric oxide in endothelial cells). We also studied the effects of a TMD on several HDL quality-related characteristics (HDL particle oxidation, resistance against oxidative modification, main lipid and protein composition, and size distribution).

RESULTS

Both TMDs increased cholesterol efflux capacity relative to baseline (P=0.018 and P=0.013 for TMD-VOO and TMD-Nuts, respectively). The TMD-VOO intervention decreased cholesteryl ester transfer protein activity (relative to baseline, P=0.028) and increased HDL ability to esterify cholesterol, paraoxonase-1 arylesterase activity, and HDL vasodilatory capacity (relative to control, P=0.039, P=0.012, and P=0.026, respectively). Adherence to a TMD induced these beneficial changes by improving HDL oxidative status and composition. The 3 diets increased the percentage of large HDL particles (relative to baseline, P<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The TMD, especially when enriched with virgin olive oil, improved HDL atheroprotective functions in humans.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION

URL: http://www.controlled-trials.com. Unique identifier: ISRCTN35739639.

Featured Article: Alterations of lecithin cholesterol acyltransferase activity and apolipoprotein A-I functionality in human sickle blood

In sickle cell disease (SCD) cholesterol metabolism appears dysfunctional as evidenced by abnormal plasma cholesterol content in a subpopulation of SCD patients. Specific activity of the high density lipoprotein (HDL)-bound lecithin cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) enzyme, which catalyzes esterification of cholesterol, and generates lysoPC (LPC) was significantly lower in sickle plasma compared to normal. Inhibitory amounts of LPC were present in sickle plasma, and the red blood cell (RBC) lysophosphatidylcholine acyltransferase (LPCAT), essential for the removal of LPC, displayed a broad range of activity. The functionality of sickle HDL appeared to be altered as evidenced by a decreased HDL-Apolipoprotein A-I exchange in sickle plasma as compared to control. Increased levels of oxidized proteins including ApoA-I were detected in sickle plasma. In vitro incubation of sickle plasma with washed erythrocytes affected the ApoA-I-exchange supporting the view that the RBC blood compartment can affect cholesterol metabolism in plasma. HDL functionality appeared to decrease during acute vaso-occlusive episodes in sickle patients and was associated with an increase of secretory PLA₂, a marker for increased inflammation. Simvastatin treatment to improve the anti-inflammatory function of HDL did not ameliorate HDL-ApoA-I exchange in sickle patients. Thus, the cumulative effect of an inflammatory and highly oxidative environment in sickle blood contributes to a decrease in cholesterol esterification and HDL function, related to hypocholesterolemia in SCD.

Dysfunctional High-Density Lipoprotein: An Innovative Target for Proteomics and Lipidomics

High-Density Lipoprotein-Cholesterol (HDL-C) is regarded as an important protective factor against cardiovascular disease, with abundant evidence of an inverse relationship between its serum levels and risk of cardiovascular disease, as well as various antiatherogenic, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties. Nevertheless, observations of hereditary syndromes featuring scant HDL-C concentration in absence of premature atherosclerotic disease suggest HDL-C levels may not be the best predictor of cardiovascular disease. Indeed, the beneficial effects of HDL may not depend solely on their concentration, but also on their quality. Distinct subfractions of this lipoprotein appear to be constituted by specific protein-lipid conglomerates necessary for different physiologic and pathophysiologic functions. However, in a chronic inflammatory microenvironment, diverse components of the HDL proteome and lipid core suffer alterations, which propel a shift towards a dysfunctional state, where HDL-C becomes proatherogenic, prooxidant, and proinflammatory. This heterogeneity highlights the need for further specialized molecular studies in this aspect, in order to achieve a better understanding of this dysfunctional state; with an emphasis on the potential role for proteomics and lipidomics as valuable methods in the search of novel therapeutic approaches for cardiovascular disease.

Lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase in brain: Does oxidative stress influence the 24-hydroxycholesterol esterification?

24-Hydroxycholesterol (24OH-C) is esterified by the enzyme lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). We report here that the level of 24OH-C esters was lower in CSF of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis than in healthy subjects (54% vs 68% of total 24OH-C, p=0.0005; n=8). Similarly, the level of 24OH-C esters in plasma was lower in patients than in controls (62% vs 77% of total 24OH-C; p=0.0076). The enzyme amount in CSF, as measured by densitometry of the protein band revealed by immunoblotting, was about 4-fold higher in patients than in controls (p=0.0085). As differences in the concentration of the LCAT stimulator Apolipoprotein E were not found, we hypothesized that the reduced 24OH-C esterification in CSF of patients might depend on oxidative stress. We actually found that oxidative stress reduced LCAT activity in vitro, and 24OH-C effectively stimulated the enzyme secretion from astrocytoma cells in culture. Enhanced LCAT secretion from astrocytes might represent an adaptive response to the increase of non-esterified 24OH-C percentage, aimed to avoid the accumulation of this neurotoxic compound. The low degree of 24OH-C esterification in CSF or plasma might reflect reduced activity of LCAT during neurodegeneration.

C/EBPα and C/EBPβ binding proteins modulate hepatocyte apoptosis through iNOS signaling pathway

Inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and nitric oxide (NO) involve many pathophysiologic conditions. The expression of iNOS is regulated at multiple stages. Presently, the regulatory details of iNOS signaling are still unclear. This study aimed to investigate the regulatory role of C/EBPα and C/EBPβ in iNOS signaling pathway. By employing the techniques such as EMSA, ChIP assay, site-directed mutagenesis, and siRNA silencing, the relationship between iNOS and C/EBPα/C/EBPβ in rat hepatocytes was clarified. iNOS promoter was the direct transcriptional targets of the C/EBPα, C/EBPβ, and NF-κB binding proteins. There was the interactive influence between NF-κB and C/EBPα/C/EBPβ. The expression of iNOS was modulated by C/EBPα/C/EBPβ transcription factors. Moreover, the iNOS expression mediated glycochenodeoxycholate (GCDC)-induced apoptosis in hepatocytes. C/EBPα/C/EBPβ binding proteins could affect the GCDC-induced apoptosis through iNOS cascade. These findings indicate that C/EBPα and C/EBPβ regulate the iNOS expression, which may further modify cell responses such as apoptosis and cell survival.

Myeloperoxidase: an oxidative pathway for generating dysfunctional high-density lipoprotein

Accumulation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-derived cholesterol by artery wall macrophages triggers atherosclerosis, the leading cause of cardiovascular disease. Conversely, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) retards atherosclerosis by promoting cholesterol efflux from macrophages by the membrane-associated ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1) pathway. HDL has been proposed to lose its cardioprotective effects in subjects with atherosclerosis, but the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. One potential pathway involves oxidative damage by myeloperoxidase (MPO), a heme enzyme secreted by human artery wall macrophages. We used mass spectrometry to demonstrate that HDL isolated from patients with established cardiovascular disease contains elevated levels of 3-chlorotyrosine and 3-nitrotyrosine, two characteristic products of MPO. When apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I), the major HDL protein, was oxidized by MPO, its ability to promote cellular cholesterol efflux by ABCA1 was impaired. Moreover, oxidized apoA-I was unable to activate lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT), which rapidly converts free cholesterol to cholesteryl ester, a critical step in HDL maturation. Biochemical studies implicated tyrosine chlorination and methionine oxygenation in the loss of ABCA1 and LCAT activity by oxidized apoA-I. Oxidation of specific residues in apoA-I inhibited two key steps in cholesterol efflux from macrophages, raising the possibility that MPO initiates a pathway for generating dysfunctional HDL in humans.

Methionine oxidation impairs reverse cholesterol transport by apolipoprotein A-I

HDL protects against vascular disease by accepting free cholesterol from macrophage foam cells in the artery wall. This pathway is critically dependent on lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT), which rapidly converts cholesterol to cholesteryl ester. The physiological activator of LCAT is apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I), the major HDL protein. However, cholesterol removal is compromised if apoA-I is exposed to reactive intermediates. In humans with established cardiovascular disease, myeloperoxidase (MPO) oxidizes HDL, and oxidation by MPO impairs apoA-I's ability to activate LCAT in vitro. Because a single methionine residue in apoA-I, Met-148, resides near the center of the protein's LCAT activation domain, we determined whether its oxidation by MPO could account for the loss of LCAT activity. Mass spectrometric analysis demonstrated that oxidation of Met-148 to methionine sulfoxide associated quantitatively with loss of LCAT activity in both discoidal HDL and HDL(3), the enzyme's physiological substrates. Reversing oxidation with methionine sulfoxide reductase restored HDL's ability to activate LCAT. Discoidal HDL prepared with apoA-I containing a Met-148-->Leu mutation was significantly resistant to inactivation by MPO. Based on structural data in the literature, we propose that oxidation of Met-148 disrupts apoA-I's central loop, which overlaps the LCAT activation domain. These observations implicate oxidation of a single Met in apoA-I in impaired LCAT activation, a critical early step in reverse cholesterol transport.

Myeloperoxidase-mediated oxidation of high-density lipoproteins: Fingerprints of newly recognized potential proatherogenic lipoproteins

Substantial evidence supports the notion that oxidative processes participate in the pathogenesis of atherosclerotic heart disease. Major evidence for myeloperoxidase (MPO) as enzymatic catalyst for oxidative modification of lipoproteins in the artery wall has been suggested in numerous studies performed with low-density lipoprotein. In contrast to low-density lipoprotein, plasma levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol and apoAI, the major apolipoprotein of HDL, inversely correlate with the risk of developing coronary artery disease. These antiatherosclerotic effects are attributed mainly to HDL's capacity to transport excess cholesterol from arterial wall cells to the liver during 'reverse cholesterol transport'. There is now strong evidence that HDL is a selective in vivo target for MPO-catalyzed oxidation impairing the cardioprotective and antiinflammatory capacity of this antiatherogenic lipoprotein. MPO is enzymatically active in human lesion material and was found to be associated with HDL extracted from human atheroma. MPO-catalyzed oxidation products are highly enriched in circulating HDL from individuals with cardiovascular disease where MPO concentrations are also increased. The oxidative potential of MPO involves an array of intermediate-generated reactive oxygen and reactive nitrogen species and the ability of MPO to generate chlorinating oxidants-in particular hypochlorous acid/hypochlorite-under physiological conditions is a unique and defining activity for this enzyme. All these MPO-generated reactive products may affect structure and function of HDL as well as the activity of HDL-associated enzymes involved in conversion and remodeling of the lipoprotein particle, and represent clinically useful markers for atherosclerosis.

NAD(H) enhances the Cu(II)-mediated inactivation of lactate dehydrogenase by increasing the accessibility of sulfhydryl groups

Copper ions are known to inactivate a variety of enzymes, and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) is exceptionally sensitive to the presence of this metal. We now found that NADH strongly enhances the Cu(II)-mediated loss of LDH activity. Surprisingly, NADH was not oxidized in this process and also NAD+ promoted the Cu(II)-dependent inactivation of LDH. Catalase only partly protected the enzyme, whereas hypoxia even enhanced LDH inactivation. NAD(H) accelerated sulfhydryl (SH) group oxidation of LDH by 5,5-dithio-bis(2-nitrobenzoic acid) (DTNB), and, vice versa, LDH-mediated Cu(II) reduction. LDH activity was preserved by thiol donators and pyruvate and partially preserved by lactate and oxamate. Our results suggest that reactive oxygen species (ROS) are of minor importance for the inactivation of LDH induced by Cu(II)/NADH. We propose that conformational changes of the enzymes' active sites induced by NAD(H)-binding increase the accessibility of active sites' cysteine residues to Cu(II) thereby accelerating their oxidation and, consequently, loss of catalytic activity.

Apolipoprotein A-I-dependent cholesterol esterification in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Growing evidence suggests that atherogenesis is associated with inflammation or defective removal of cholesterol excess from peripheral cells. Apolipoprotein A-I [ApoA-I] activates the enzyme Lecithin-Cholesterol Acyl-Transferase to esterify cell cholesterol for transport to liver. Haptoglobin [Hpt] was previously found able to bind ApoA-I, and suggested to reduce the enzyme activation. The aim of this study was to demonstrate that enhanced levels of Hpt, as present during inflammation, are associated with low enzyme activity and increased thickness of the arterial wall. Enzyme activity and Hpt concentration were analysed in patients with rheumatoid arthritis having the same plasma levels of antioxidants (ascorbate, urate, alpha-tocopherol, retinol) or oxidation markers (nitrotyrosine, lipoperoxide) of healthy subjects. Cholesterol esterification, determined as ratio of cholesteryl esters with cholesterol in high-density lipoproteins, was lower in patients than in controls, and negatively correlated with the intima-media wall thickness of the common carotid. The ratio of Hpt with ApoA-I was negatively correlated with the enzyme activity, while positively correlated with intima-media wall thickness. The results suggest that high Hpt levels might severely impair the enzyme activity, thus contributing to cholesterol accumulation in vascular cells, and lesion formation in the endothelium.

Role of the interfacial binding domain in the oxidative susceptibility of lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase

We had previously shown that the cholesterol esterification activity of lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) is destroyed by oxidation, but still it retains the ability to hydrolyse water-soluble substrates. This suggested that the inactivation of the enzyme is not due to its catalytic function, but due to a loss of its hydrophobic binding. Since recent studies have shown that a tryptophan residue in the putative interfacial domain (Trp(61)) is critical for the activity, we determined the possible role of this residue in the oxidative susceptibility and substrate specificity of LCAT by site-directed mutagenesis. Deletion of Trp(61) resulted in a 56% loss of cholesterol esterification (LCAT) activity, but the phospholipase A(2) (PLA(2)) and the esterase activities of the enzyme were stimulated slightly. Replacing Trp(61) with another aromatic residue [Trp(61)-->Tyr (W61Y)] resulted in an increase in all activities (14-157%), whereas replacing it with an aliphatic residue [Trp(61)-->Gly (W61G)] caused a dramatic loss of LCAT (-90%) and PLA(2) (-82%) activities, but not the esterase activity (-5%). W61Y was the most sensitive to oxidation, whereas W61G was the most resistant, with respect to the LCAT and PLA(2) activities. However, the activities which do not involve interfacial binding, namely the esterase activity and the transesterification of short-chain phospholipids, were more resistant to oxidation in all LCATs, indicating a selective loss of the interfacial binding by oxidation. Furthermore, replacing the two cysteines (Cys(31) and Cys(184)) in the Trp(61) deletion mutant caused additional resistance of the enzyme to oxidizing agents, showing that both domains of the enzyme contribute independently to its oxidative susceptibility. Since the hydrolysis of truncated phospholipids, generated during the oxidation of low-density lipoproteins, does not require the interfacial-binding domain, our results suggest that LCAT may take part in the detoxification of these compounds even after the loss of its cholesterol esterification function.