Endotoxin, tumor necrosis factor, and interleukin-1 decrease hepatic squalene synthase activity, protein, and mRNA levels in Syrian hamsters.

Recent studies have shown that endotoxin (LPS) administration to Syrian hamsters markedly increased hepatic HMG-CoA reductase activity, protein mass, and mRNA levels, but only produced a modest increase in hepatic cholesterol synthesis, suggesting that LPS may also influence other key enzymes involved in the regulation of cholesterol metabolism. In the present study, we have examined the effect of LPS and cytokines on the activity, protein mass, and mRNA level of squalene synthase, which is the first committed enzyme in cholesterol biosynthesis and is located at a branch point in the mevalonate pathway. Our results demonstrate that LPS administration produces a marked decrease in the mRNA levels of squalene synthase. This decrease in squalene synthase mRNA occurred very rapidly (90 min after LPS) and required relatively small doses of LPS (1 microg/100 gm body weight). LPS also significantly decreased squalene synthase activity and protein mass. Finally, LPS produced a marked decrease in squalene synthase mRNA, activity, and protein levels when the basal levels of squalene synthase expression were increased 4-fold by prior treatment with bile acid binding resin, colestipol. Tumor necrosis factor and interleukin-1, which mediate many of the metabolic effects of LPS, also decreased hepatic squalene synthase activity and mRNA levels. Taken together, our results suggest that the discordant regulation of HMG-CoA reductase and squalene synthase during the host response to infection and inflammation may have substantial effects on the regulation of substrate flux into the non-sterol pathways of mevalonate metabolism.