Overexpression of Apolipoprotein F Reduces HDL Cholesterol Levels In Vivo

Apolipoprotein F (ApoF) is a protein component of several lipoprotein classes including HDL. It is also known as lipid transfer inhibitor protein (LTIP) based on its ability to inhibit lipid transfer between lipoproteins ex vivo. We sought to investigate the role of ApoF in HDL metabolism. Adeno-associated viruses (AAV) based on serotype 8, were used to overexpress either murine or human ApoF in mice. Overexpression of murine ApoF significantly reduced total cholesterol levels by 28% (P