Comparative study of the precipitation of low density lipoproteins by aortic proteodermatan sulphate and heparin

The aortic proteoglycans and heparin were shown to form insoluble complexes with human low density lipoproteins (LDL). The effect of temperature, polyethylene glycol and ionic strength on the formation of complexes between porcine aortic proteodermatan sulphate (PDS) and LDL has been studied by laser nephelometry and comparisons made with heparin LDL complexes. Turbidity was a nonlinear function of the quantity of LDL precipitated by PDS. The turbidity of aggregates was constant at temperatures between 2 degrees C and 30 degrees C but increased with temperature above 30 degrees C up to 50 degrees C. The formation of insoluble complexes decreased rapidly with increasing NaCl concentration. Polyethylene glycol enhanced the turbidity at 20 degrees C but not at 37 degrees C. It also increased the resistance of complexes to dissociation by increasing ionic strength. The turbidity of heparin--LDL complexes was linearly correlated with the quantity of precipitated LDL. The heparin-LDL aggregates were less sensitive to modification of temperature and ionic strength than the PDS-LDL aggregates. These results suggest that ionic interactions are weaker in PDS-LDL complexes than in the heparin-LDL complexes. Non-coulombic interactions and/or temperature dependent conformational changes may be involved in the stabilization of supramolecular PDS-LDL aggregates. No such interactions or changes appear to be involved in complex formation between heparin and LDL.