title: Effect of squalene synthase inhibition on the expression of hepatic cholesterol biosynthetic enzymes, LDL receptor, and cholesterol 7 alpha hydroxylase.
abstract: Squalene synthase catalyzes the committed step in the biosynthesis of sterols. Treating rats with zaragozic acid A, a potent inhibitor of squalene synthase, caused marked increases in hepatic 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) synthase, HMG-CoA reductase, squalene synthase, and LDL receptor mRNA levels. The increase in HMG-CoA reductase mRNA fully accounted for the increases seen in enzyme protein and activity. Farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase mRNA and activity were only slightly increased by zaragozic acid A, while cholesterol 7 alpha hydroxylase mRNA levels were decreased substantially. When rats were pretreated with zaragozic acid A, there was no change in mRNA levels for the cholesterol biosynthetic enzymes or cholesterol 7 alpha hydroxylase upon subsequent treatment with mevalonolactone. Under these same conditions, the enzymatic activity of HMG-CoA reductase was also unaffected. Mevalonolactone treatment reduced the zaragozic acid A-mediated increase in hepatic LDL receptor mRNA levels. Feeding cholesterol eliminated the zaragozic acid A-induced increase in HMG-CoA reductase mRNA levels. These results suggest that inhibition of squalene synthase decreases the level of a squalene-derived regulatory product, resulting in altered amounts of several mRNAs and coordinate increases in HMG-CoA reductase mRNA, protein, and activity. The increase in HMG-CoA reductase gene expression was closely related to the degree of inhibition of cholesterol synthesis caused by zaragozic acid A.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa 33612.
authors.forename: G C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Ness
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Keller
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D001643:Bridged Bicyclo Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019086:Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D002790:Cholesterol 7-alpha-Hydroxylase / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D003609:Dactinomycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D004122:Dimethylallyltranstransferase / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004790:Enzyme Induction; D013186:Farnesyl-Diphosphate Farnesyltransferase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects*; D006903:Hydroxymethylglutaryl CoA Reductases / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D006904:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Synthase / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D015151:Immunoblotting; D007700:Kinetics; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008798:Mevalonic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011973:Receptors, LDL / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D014233:Tricarboxylic Acids / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D001643:Bridged Bicyclo Compounds; D019086:Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011973:Receptors, LDL; D014233:Tricarboxylic Acids; C075117:squalestatin 1; D003609:Dactinomycin; C015367:mevalonolactone; D002784:Cholesterol; D006903:Hydroxymethylglutaryl CoA Reductases; D002790:Cholesterol 7-alpha-Hydroxylase; D006904:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Synthase; D004122:Dimethylallyltranstransferase; D013186:Farnesyl-Diphosphate Farnesyltransferase; D008798:Mevalonic Acid