Effects of fatty acids on apolipoprotein B secretion by McArdle RH-7777 rat hepatoma cells

The effect of oleic acid (OA), stearic acid (SA) and elaidic acid (EA) on cellular and secreted apolipoprotein (apo) B was examined in McArdle RH-7777 (McArdle) hepatoma cells and in primary rat hepatocytes. ApoB secretion by McArdle cells was significantly inhibited by 20% in 8 h incubations in medium containing EA and SA and by 50% in medium containing OA. In contrast, apo B secretion and cellular apo B of primary rat hepatocytes was relatively unaffected by incubations in medium containing fatty acids. Both B100 and B48 secretion in McArdle wild type and B48 in apo B mRNA editing enzyme catalytic polypeptide transfectants expressing B48 were inhibited to a similar extent indicating an effect of OA on both apo B species. The effect of OA occurred without changes in cellular apo B or in apo B mRNA abundance suggesting a post-transcriptional mechanism. Time course studies indicate that the suppressive effect of OA requires 4 h of incubation suggesting the depletion of a limiting factor important in apoB secretion. By increasing the proportion of palmitic acid to OA in the medium, apoB secretion by McArdle cells was progressively restored to control levels implicating an unique role for newly synthesized saturated fatty acid.