Antibody against low density lipoprotein receptor blocks uptake of low density lipoprotein (but not high density lipoprotein) by the adrenal gland of the mouse in vivo.

The adrenal gland of the mouse takes up intravenously administered 125I-labeled human low density lipoprotein (LDL) by a high affinity, receptor-mediated mechanism. Uptake is enhanced by treatment of mice with a combination of 4-aminopyrazolopyrimidine, which eliminates endogenous mouse lipoproteins from the plasma, and adrenocorticotropin, which increases the number of adrenal LDL receptors. In the current studies, we show that adrenal uptake of 125I-LDL is blocked when the mice have received a prior intravenous injection of a rabbit antibody directed against the LDL receptor purified from bovine adrenal cortex. The antibody-mediated inhibition of 125I-LDL uptake persisted for 6 h and was reversed by 19 h. Adrenal uptake of 125I-labeled high density lipoprotein was not affected by the antibody, supporting the previous suggestion that high density lipoprotein uptake by the adrenal gland is mediated by a receptor that differs from the LDL receptor. The current studies illustrate the usefulness of antibodies in probing the process of receptor-mediated endocytosis in intact animals.