Differential Role of Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycans on Aggregated LDL Uptake in Human Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells and Mouse Embryonic Fibroblasts

OBJECTIVE—Low density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor–related protein (LRP) binds and internalizes aggregated LDL (agLDL) in human vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). To analyze the contribution of proteoglycans (PGs) to agLDL uptake in human VSMCs, in wild-type mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEF line), and in LRP-deficient mouse embryonic fibroblasts (PEA13 line). METHODS AND RESULTS—PGs in the medium and cellular and extracellular matrix have been isolated by metabolic radiolabeling with [S]Na2SO4 and characterized by selective digestion with heparinase I and III (4 U/mL each) and chondroitinase ABC (2 U/mL). To examine the contribution of PGs and LRPs to agLDL internalization, nonexpressing and LRP-expressing cells, treated or not with polysaccharidase, were incubated with agLDL (25, 50, and 100 μg/mL) for 18 hours. In human VSMCs, agLDL was unable to induce cholesteryl ester (CE) accumulation in antisense LRP-oligodeoxynucleotide–treated cells, and heparan sulfate (HS)-PG depletion leads to a reduction of the CE accumulation. In mouse fibroblasts, PEA13 compared with MEF showed lower, but still considerable, CE accumulation, and HS-PG depletion almost completely inhibited CE accumulation. CONCLUSIONS—In MEF, HS-PGs can function alone as receptors that bind and internalize agLDL in the absence of LRP, but in human VSMCs, although HS-PGs facilitate agLDL binding to the cells, LRP is essential for agLDL internalization.