Microviscosity of lipid domains in human serum lipoproteins

Microviscosities for the hydrophobic lipid regions of human serum lipoproteins and for dispersions of lipids extracted from the lipoproteins have been determined using fluorescence polarization measurements with 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene, a rod-like molecule, as the main fluorescent probe. Additional microviscosity measurements were carried out on LP-X, an abnormal human lipoprotein characteristic of cholestasis. Perylene, a disc-shaped fluorescent probe, was used with intact human lipoproteins in order to confirm relative microviscosity values measured with 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene and to estimate the anisotropy of the lipid domains. Logarithmic plots of microviscosity against the inverse of absolute temperature, over the range of 0-40 degrees C, gave no indication of phase transitions and yielded activation energy values for all human lipoproteins and for the isolated lipids. The microviscosity results at 25 degrees C range from a high value of 6.1 +/- 0.9 P for low density lipoprotein down to 1.0 +/- 0.2P for chylomicrons, when 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene is used as the probe. Activation energies vary from 9 kcal per mol to 6 kcal per mol for the intact lipoproteins. In contrast, isolated lipids have microviscosities from 2.4 +/- 0.3P for low density lipoprotein lipids to 1.0 +/- 0.2P for chylomicron lipids, with activation energies around 6 kcal per mol. The absolute microviscosity values indicate fluid yet viscous and anisotropic lipid domains in higher density lipoproteins, and more fluid and disordered states for isolated lipids and chylomicrons. Differences in microviscosities between the intact lipoproteins and isolated lipids can be attributed to the effects of proteins in restricting the mobility of lipids, these effects are strongest for low density lipoproteins, followed by high density lipoproteins, LP-X, very low density lipoproteins, and chylomicrons. Flow activation energies are throught to reflect intermolecular interactions, and are again higher for the higher density lipoproteins than for isolated lipids, or for chylomicrons.