Different fate in vivo of oxidatively modified low density lipoprotein and acetylated low density lipoprotein in rats. Recognition by various scavenger receptors on Kupffer and endothelial liver cells.

Human low density lipoprotein was oxidized (Ox-LDL) by exposure to 5 microM Cu2+ and its fate in vivo was compared to acetylated low density lipoprotein (Ac-LDL). Ox-LDL, when injected into rats, is rapidly removed from the blood circulation by the liver, similarly as Ac-LDL. A separation of rat liver cells into parenchymal, endothelial, and Kupffer cells at 10 min after injection of Ox-LDL or Ac-LDL indicated that the Kupffer cell uptake of Ox-LDL is 6.8-fold higher than for Ac-LDL, leading to Kupffer cells as the main liver site for Ox-LDL uptake. In vitro studies with isolated liver cells indicated that saturable high affinity sites for Ox-LDL were present on both endothelial and Kupffer cells, whereby the capacity of Kupffer cells to degrade Ox-LDL is 6-fold higher than for endothelial cells. Competition studies showed that unlabeled Ox-LDL competed as efficiently (90%) as unlabeled Ac-LDL with the cell association and degradation of 125I-labeled Ac-LDL by endothelial and Kupffer cells. However, unlabeled Ac-LDL competed only partially (20-30%) with the cell association and degradation of 125I-labeled Ox-LDL by Kupffer cells, while unlabeled Ox-LDL or polyinosinic acid competed for 70-80%. It is concluded that the liver contains, in addition to the scavenger (Ac-LDL) receptor which interacts efficiently with both Ac-LDL and Ox-LDL and which is concentrated on endothelial cells, an additional specific Ox-LDL receptor which is highly concentrated on Kupffer cells. In vivo the specific Ox-LDL recognition site on Kupffer cells will form the major protection system against the occurrence of the atherogenic Ox-LDL particles in the blood.