Inflammatory cytokines disrupt LDL-receptor feedback regulation and cause statin resistance: a comparative study in human hepatic cells and mesangial cells.

LDL receptor (LDLr) is widely expressed in both liver and peripheral tissue. We aimed to clarify tissue-specific regulation of LDLr in hepatic cell line (HepG2) cells and human kidney mesangial cells (HMCs) under physiological and inflammatory conditions. We have demonstrated that the concentration of LDL required for 50% inhibition of LDLr mRNA expression (IC50) in HepG2 was 75 microg/ml, but only 30 microg/ml in HMCs. The concentration of mevastatin, a 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitor, which achieved 200% upregulation of LDLr (UC200) in HepG2 cells, was 0.7 microM, which is much lower than 2.8 microM in HMCs. Inflammatory stress increased IC50 to 80 and 75 microg/ml of LDL, UC(200) to 2.8 microM, and 4.2 microM of mevastatin in HepG2 and HMCs. There was obvious sterol-regulatory element binding protein cleavage-activating protein accumulation in the Golgi in HepG2 cells, but not in HMCs in the presence of high concentration of LDL. IL-1beta further increased sterol-regulatory element binding protein cleavage-activating protein accumulation in HepG2 and HMCs in the presence of high concentration of LDL. These results indicate that LDLr in HepG2 cells have a relative resistant phenotype for downregulation, while LDLr in HMCs is very sensitive for downregulation. Inflammatory cytokine disrupts LDLr negative feedback regulation induced by intracellular cholesterol in both cell types, to a greater degree in HMCs, which could be one reason why HMCs are more prone to become foam cells under inflammatory stress. Inflammation also causes statin resistance; therefore, a high concentration of statin may be required to achieve the same biological effect.