Prostacyclin-mediated effect of high density lipoproteins as cellular cholesterol acceptors on aortic smooth muscle cells.

Low (LDL) and high (HDL) density lipoproteins stimulate prostacyclin (PGI2) synthesis in cultured rabbit and human aortic smooth muscle cells. In this respect, the efficacy of HDL exceeded that of LDL, HDL3 being the most effective. HDL3 obtained from hypoalphacholesterolemic patients' serum had a lesser stimulative effect on PGI2 synthesis as compared with HDL3 of normolipidemic subjects. Partially purified apoprotein A-1 stimulates the metabolism of 14C-arachidonic acid accompanied with enhanced formation of prostaglandins, especially 6-keto-PGII alpha. Within a 24 h incubation in the fetal calf serum-free medium, prostaglandins I2 and E1 (1 x 10(-7) M) reduce the intracellular cholesterol level in human aortic smooth muscle cells by 30%. Total HDL fraction as well as HDL3 and HDL2b applied in combination with prostaglandins have a synergistic effect resulting in a 50% fall in intracellular cholesterol. Hypothetically, the uptake of cholesterol by HDL may include the following stages: (1) HDL interacts with the cell and activates the intracellular PGI2 synthesis probably via apo A-1 modulatory action on arachidonic acid metabolism; (2) newly synthesized PGI2 activates cholesteryl ester hydrolase leading to the formation of free cholesterol; (3) HDL takes up free cholesterol.