Oxidized Low Density Lipoproteins Regulate Synthesis of Monkey Aortic Smooth Muscle Cell Proteoglycans That Have Enhanced Native Low Density Lipoprotein Binding Properties

Oxidized low density lipoproteins (Ox-LDL) affect several biological processes involved in atherogenesis. However, it is not known whether Ox-LDL can regulate proteoglycan expression and thus affect arterial wall lipoprotein retention. This study evaluated whether Ox-LDL, as compared with native LDL, regulates proteoglycan expression by monkey arterial smooth muscle cells in vitroand whether proteoglycans synthesized in the presence of Ox-LDL exhibit altered lipoprotein binding properties. Ox-LDL stimulated glycosaminoglycan synthesis, as measured by35SO4 incorporation, by 30–50% over that of native LDL. The effect was maximal after 72 h of exposure to 5 μg/ml of Ox-LDL. The molecular sizes of versican, biglycan, and decorin increased in response to Ox-LDL, as indicated by size exclusion chromatography and SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. These effects could be mimicked by the lipid extract of Ox-LDL. These size increases were largely due to chain elongation and not to alterations in the ratio of 35SO4 to [3H]glucosamine incorporation. Affinity chromatography indicated that Ox-LDL stimulated the synthesis of proteoglycans with high affinity for native LDL. Ox-LDL also specifically stimulated mRNA expression for biglycan (but not versican or decorin), which was correlated with increased expression of secreted biglycan. Thus, Ox-LDL may influence lipoprotein retention by regulating synthesis of biglycan and also by altering glycosaminoglycan synthesis of vascular proteoglycans so as to enhance lipoprotein binding properties.