title: Expression of apolipoprotein E in cholesterol-loaded macrophages of extrahepatic tissues during experimental hypercholesterolemia.
abstract: To study the expression of extrahepatic apolipoprotein E (apoE) under hypercholesterolemic conditions, apoE mRNA levels were evaluated in 14 tissues of rabbits fed on a cholesterol rich diet and compared to age-matched control animals. In hypercholesterolemic rabbits apoE expression was significantly induced in adipose tissue, adrenals, aorta, lung and spleen. The increase in apoE mRNA levels in lung and spleen was associated with the presence of cholesterol-loaded macrophages. These cells were found to express high levels of apoE mRNA as demonstrated by in situ mRNA hybridization. Our results suggest that extrahepatic tissues would be partially responsible for the rise in serum apoE levels detected under hypercholesterolemic conditions.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biología Molecular, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Spain.
authors.forename: J I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Polanco
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Berciano
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Crespo
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rodríguez
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Ordovás
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lafarga
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Ortiz Melón
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Rodríguez
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: León
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000378:metabolism; D000311:Adrenal Glands / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta / Q000378:metabolism; D001057:Apolipoproteins E / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000378:metabolism*; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008168:Lung / Q000378:metabolism; D008264:Macrophages / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis; D011817:Rabbits; D013154:Spleen / Q000378:metabolism; D014018:Tissue Distribution
chemical_list: D001057:Apolipoproteins E; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D002784:Cholesterol