Very low density lipoprotein secretion by cultured hepatocytes of rabbits fed purified or autoxidized cholesterol

The main objectives of this study were to compare the effects of dietary commercial cholesterol (containing 5% of oxidized cholesterol derivatives) and purified cholesterol on the secretion rate of very low density lipoprotein apolipoproteins and lipids by cultured rabbit hepatocytes and to verify the hypothesis that products of cholesterol autoxidation stimulate the rapid development of hypercholesterolemia. Rabbits fed dietary (old) commercial cholesterol for six weeks showed a fivefold increase in the serum concentration of cholesterol compared with that in purified cholesterol‐fed rabbits. The secretion rates of very low density lipoprotein total protein and very low density lipoprotein [3H]apolipoproteins were similar for the hepatocytes of these two cholesterol‐fed groups of animals and were two‐ and threefold greater, respectively, than for cells from control rabbits. Cholesteryl ester content of the hepatocytes from dietary (old) commercial cholesterol‐fed rabbits was dramatically increased in comparison with hepatocytes from control and purified cholesterol‐fed rabbits. The elevated intracellular cholesteryl ester content is assumed to account for such an increase of very low density lipoprotein‐cholesteryl ester secretion by cells prepared from dietary (old) commercial cholesterol‐fed rabbits. These effects appear to be caused by activation of cholesterol esterification by oxidized cholesterol derivatives. The rapid development of hypercholesterolemia induced by dietary (old) commercial cholesterol is associated, at least in part, with the stimulated production of hepatic very low density lipoprotein apolipoproteins and cholesteryl esters.