Endocytosis of sulfatides by macrophages: relationship to the cellular uptake of phosphatidylserine.

These studies initially examined the effect of sulfatides on the endocytosis of phosphatidylserine (PS) liposomes in J774 macrophages employing liposomes composed entirely of PS and the nonexchangeable radiolabel [3H]cholesteryl hexadecyl ether. Bovine brain sulfatides significantly inhibited the uptake of PS liposomes by macrophages to a level of approximately 15% of control values. To examine whether macrophages were also capable of recognizing and internalizing sulfatides, sulfatide-containing liposomes were prepared using phosphatidylcholine (PC), cholesterol, and sulfatides (6:2:4 molar ratio) incorporating the same radiolabel. The sulfatide-containing liposomes were found to be avidly endocytosed by macrophages. Uptake of the sulfatide-containing liposomes by macrophages was significantly greater than the uptake of liposomes made without sulfatides. When the macrophages were incubated with the anionic compounds dextran sulfate and fucoidin, both the binding of the liposomes to the macrophages at 4 degrees C and the internalization of the liposomes at 37 degrees C were inhibited to approximately 10% of control values. The negatively charged phospholipids phosphatidylglycerol and cardiolipin significantly inhibited the uptake of sulfatide-containing liposomes, and PS was not effective in reducing the cellular uptake of these liposomes. Both oxidized low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and acetylated LDL reduced the uptake of the sulfatide-containing liposomes; the uptake observed in the presence of acetylated LDL and oxidized LDL was approximately 70% and 40%, respectively, of control values. These findings demonstrate that macrophages can efficiently endocytose both sulfatides and negatively charged phospholipids to remove them from the circulation.