Bl. Vaisman et al., ABCA1 overexpression leads to hyperalphalipoproteinemia and increased biliary cholesterol excretion in transgenic mice, J CLIN INV, 108(2), 2001, pp. 303-309
The discovery of the ABCA1 lipid transporter has generated interest in modu
lating human plasma HDL levels and atherogenic risk by enhancing ABCA1 gene
expression. To determine if increased ABCA1 expression modulates HDL metab
olism in vivo, we generated transgenic mice that overexpress human ABCA1 (h
ABCA1-Tg). Hepatic and macrophage expression of hABCA1 enhanced macrophage
cholesterol efflux to apoA-I; increased plasma cholesterol, cholesteryl est
ers (CEs), free cholesterol, phospholipids, HDL cholesterol, and apoA-I and
apoB levels; and led to the accumulation of apoE-rich HDL1. ABCA1 transgen
e expression delayed I-125-apoA-I catabolism in both liver and kidney, lead
ing to increased plasma apoA-I levels, but had no effect on apoB secretion
after infusion of Triton WR1339. Although the plasma clearance of HDL-CE wa
s not significantly altered in hABCA1-Tg mice, the net hepatic delivery of
exogenous 3H-CEt-HDL, which is dependent on the HDL pool size, was increase
d 1.5-fold. In addition, the cholesterol and phospholipid concentrations in
hABCA1-Tg bile were increased 1.8-fold. These studies show that steady-sta
te overexpression of ABCA1 in vivo (a) raises plasma apoB levels without al
tering apoB secretion and (b) raises plasma HDL-C and apoA-I levels, facili
tating hepatic reverse cholesterol transport and biliary cholesterol excret
ion. Similar metabolic changes may modify atherogenic risk in humans.