Cholesterol metabolism in human monocyte-derived macrophages: stimulation of cholesteryl ester formation and cholesterol excretion by serum lipoproteins.

The role of lipoproteins and serum in the formation and accumulation of cholesteryl esters in human monocyte-derived macrophages (HMD macrophages) was investigated; studies were also carried out with IC21 cells (a cell line derived from mouse peritoneal macrophages). Following preincubation of HMD macrophages with lipoprotein-depleted serum (LPDS), both native and acetylated low density lipoprotein (LDL and AcLDL, respectively) stimulated the formation of cholesteryl esters with a resultant increase in cellular cholesteryl ester content. Cholesteryl ester formation and accumulation was also stimulated in macrophages exposed continuously to 25-hydroxycholesterol. However, the stimulation of cholesterol esterification by either lipoproteins or 25-hydroxycholesterol was not inhibited by progesterone in HMD macrophages, but was in the IC21 cells. Cholesterol efflux and the hydrolysis of cellular cholesterol ester, promoted by serum components, were studied in HMD macrophages preloaded with cholesteryl ester by incubation with 25-hydroxy cholesterol. Replacement of the medium with one devoid of 25-hydroxycholesterol resulted within 24 hr in at least a 30% decrease in the cholesteryl ester content of the HMD macrophages; replacement with a medium high in cholesterol acceptor content (LPDS or high density lipoprotein) and incubation for three days led to the most marked decreases in cellular cholesterol content. Thus, hydrolysis of the cholesteryl esters by HMD macrophages was not dependent on the presence of cholesterol acceptors in the medium, but cellular cholesterol content was.