The effect of macrophage-conditioned medium on metabolism of normal very low density lipoprotein by fibroblasts.

Triglyceride was accumulated saturably in cultivated human fibroblasts exposed to increasing concentration of normal very low density lipoprotein (N-VLDL). Characterization of binding and degradation of 125I-N-VLDL by the cells indicated a direct uptake of intact N-VLDL particles via the cell surface receptor. Competition of unlabelled N-VLDL and LDL with 125I-N-VLDL in fibroblasts suggested that LDL receptor may be involved in this process. An unsaturable triglyceride accumulation in fibroblast induced by macrophage-conditioned medium containing N-VLDL was also observed. Intracellular triglyceride content, in this case, is linearly correlated with the concentration of N-VLDL in the medium and results mainly from re-esterification of fatty acid produced by hydrolysis of VLDL-triglyceride by lipoprotein lipase of macrophage.