Malondialdehyde modification and copper-induced autooxidation of high-density lipoprotein decrease cholesterol efflux from human cultured fibroblasts.

Malondialdehyde modification and copper ion-induced autooxidation of the apo E-free HDL3 fraction of high-density lipoproteins were studied with respect to physico-chemical characteristics and physiological properties of the lipoprotein. Cu(2+)-oxidized HDL was much less modified than MDA-treated HDL, in terms of electrophoretic mobility, lipid peroxidation product content, Lys and Trp amino acid residue level and polymerization of apo A-I. With [3H]cholesteryl linoleate-labeled LDL, an inhibition of cholesterol efflux was observed in the presence of modified HDL, with a more marked effect with MDA-modified HDL. Competition studies with iodinated native HDL demonstrated a decreased binding of modified HDL to cell surface receptors. The decrease in cholesterol intracellular content, determined either by the isotopic equilibrium method or by the enzymatic cholesterol oxidase technic, was less marked in the presence of modified HDL than in the presence of native HDL. MDA-modified HDL was the less effective in decreasing cellular cholesterol content. It is thus suggested that malondialdehyde-induced alteration of HDL, or HDL peroxidation, if occurring in vivo, could contribute to the progress of atherogenesis by decreasing cholesterol efflux from peripheral tissues.