title: Regulation of cholesterol synthesis in primary rat hepatocyte culture cells. Possible regulatory site at sterol demethylation.
abstract: Primary rat hepatocyte culture cells were used to study the acute regulation of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase activity in response to 25-hydroxycholesterol, 3 beta,5 alpha,6 beta-cholestantriol, and mevalonolactone. All three effectors caused a rapid suppression of HMG-CoA reductase activity. 25-Hydroxycholesterol also caused an increase in the ratio of newly synthesized methyl sterols to newly synthesized C27-sterols. Furthermore, in 25-hydroxycholesterol-treated cells, the relative contribution of delta 24-sterol precursors to the nonsaponifiable lipid fraction increased. Di- and trimethyl-diene sterols were the dominant methyl sterols synthesized in the presence of 25-hydroxycholesterol. 3 beta,5 alpha,6 beta-Cholestrantriol (50 microM) also caused a very strong (97%) suppression of sterol demethylation; 4,4-dimethylmonoene sterols were more prominent (23%) in cells treated with 3 beta,5 alpha,6 beta-cholestrantriol, than in cells treated with 25-hydroxycholesterol (2%). The rates of both unesterified and esterified sterol synthesis increased as a function of exogenous mevalonolactone concentration. C27-sterol synthesis was saturated at a concentration of (R)-mevalonolactone which produced only a 33% suppression of HMG-CoA reductase activity. However, there was a direct relationship between the accumulation of methyl sterols and the decrease in HMG-CoA reductase activity. With the aid of triparanol, it was demonstrated that the suppression of HMG-CoA reductase activity by mevalonolactone was linked with the ability of the cells to convert squalene-2,3-epoxide into sterols. The results described in the present article support an important and perhaps necessary relationship between the rate of methyl sterol conversion of C27-sterols and the suppression or inhibition of HMG-Coa reductase in primary hepatocyte culture cells.
mesh_terms: D000085:Acetates / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D006903:Hydroxymethylglutaryl CoA Reductases / Q000378:metabolism*; D007700:Kinetics; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D014308:Triparanol / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000085:Acetates; D014308:Triparanol; D002784:Cholesterol; D006903:Hydroxymethylglutaryl CoA Reductases