Involvement of a cellular surface factor(s) in lipid-free apolipoprotein-mediated cellular cholesterol efflux

Involvement of cellular surface factors in cellular lipid efflux mediated by lipid-free apolipoprotein has been investigated. Lipid-free human apolipoprotein (apo) A-I generated net efflux of cholesterol and phospholipid from mouse peritoneal macrophages and rat aorta smooth muscle cells. Ratio of cholesterol to phospholipid was much lower in the lipid released by this mechanism from the smooth muscle cells than that from the macrophages, in agreement with our previous observation (Li, Q., Komaba, A. and Yokoyama, S. (1993) Biochemistry 32, 4597-4603). On the other hand, free apoA-I did not cause any lipid efflux from human erythrocytes. In contrast, apparent efflux of cellular cholesterol to HDL was similarly observed from all of these three cellular membranes. Trypsin treatment of the cultured macrophages completely inhibited apoA-I-mediated efflux of cholesterol and phospholipid. Smooth muscle cells also showed complete inhibition of the apoA-I-mediated cellular lipid efflux by trypsin treatment except that it required longer incubation with the enzyme. The same cellular treatment with trypsin even by prolonged incubation had only a limited effect on apparent cellular cholesterol efflux to HDL and apolipoprotein-free lipid microemulsions. Thus, free apolipoprotein-mediated cellular lipid efflux seems to depend on a trypsin-susceptible cellular surface factor(s) that erythrocytes may lack, being distinct from physicochemical cholesterol exchange reaction between cell and lipoprotein.