Eric Bruckert, Ma Feng, Maryam Darabi, Fernando Brites, Marie Lhomme, Eric Frisdal, Wilfried Le Goff, Aurélie Canicio, Lucrèce Matheron, Sandrine Lanfranchi-Lebreton, Alain Carrié, Thierry Huby, Maryse Guerin, Emilie Tubeuf, Carlos Vicente Serrano, Anatol Kontush, Raul D. Santos, Gérard Bolbach, Philippe Couvert, F. Rached, Philippe Lesnik, Maharajah Ponnaiah, Philippe Giral, Isabelle Guillas, Emmanuel L. Gautier, Unité de Recherche sur les Maladies Cardiovasculaires, du Métabolisme et de la Nutrition = Institute of cardiometabolism and nutrition (ICAN), Assistance publique - Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP) (AP-HP)-Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)-CHU Pitié-Salpêtrière [AP-HP], Sorbonne Université (SU)-Assistance publique - Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP) (AP-HP)-Sorbonne Université (SU), CHU Pitié-Salpêtrière [AP-HP], Sorbonne Université (SU)-Assistance publique - Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP) (AP-HP), Sorbonne Université (SU), University of São Paulo (USP), University of Buenos Aires [Argentina], Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas [Buenos Aires] (CONICET), Unité de Recherche sur les Maladies Cardiovasculaires, du Métabolisme et de la Nutrition = Research Unit on Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases (ICAN), Assistance publique - Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP) (AP-HP)-Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Institut de Cardiométabolisme et Nutrition = Institute of Cardiometabolism and Nutrition [CHU Pitié Salpêtrière] (IHU ICAN), Assistance publique - Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP) (AP-HP)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Assistance publique - Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP) (AP-HP)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-CHU Pitié-Salpêtrière [AP-HP], Assistance publique - Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP) (AP-HP)-Sorbonne Université (SU), Institut de Cardiométabolisme et Nutrition = Institute of Cardiometabolism and Nutrition [CHU Pitié Salpêtrière] (IHU ICAN), Assistance publique - Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP) (AP-HP)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Assistance publique - Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP) (AP-HP)-Sorbonne Université (SU), Universidade de São Paulo = University of São Paulo (USP), Universitad de Buenos Aires = University of Buenos Aires [Argentina], and Gautier, Emmanuel
Background: Low concentrations of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) represent a well-established cardiovascular risk factor. Paradoxically, extremely high HDL-C levels are equally associated with elevated cardiovascular risk, resulting in the U-shape relationship of HDL-C with cardiovascular disease. Mechanisms underlying this association are presently unknown. We hypothesised that the capacity of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) to acquire free cholesterol upon triglyceride-rich lipoprotein (TGRL) lipolysis by lipoprotein lipase underlies the non-linear relationship between HDL-C and cardiovascular risk. Methods: To assess our hypothesis, we developed a novel assay to evaluate the capacity of HDL to acquire free cholesterol (as fluorescent TopFluor® cholesterol) from TGRL upon in vitro lipolysis by lipoprotein lipase. Results: When the assay was applied to several populations markedly differing in plasma HDL-C levels, transfer of free cholesterol was significantly decreased in low HDL-C patients with acute myocardial infarction (−45%) and type 2 diabetes (–25%), and in subjects with extremely high HDL-C of >2.59 mmol/L (>100 mg/dL) (−20%) versus healthy normolipidaemic controls. When these data were combined and plotted against HDL-C concentrations, an inverse U-shape relationship was observed. Consistent with these findings, animal studies revealed that the capacity of HDL to acquire cholesterol upon lipolysis was reduced in low HDL-C apolipoprotein A-I knock-out mice and was negatively correlated with aortic accumulation of [3H]-cholesterol after oral gavage, attesting this functional characteristic as a negative metric of postprandial atherosclerosis. Conclusions: Free cholesterol transfer to HDL upon TGRL lipolysis may underlie the U-shape relationship between HDL-C and cardiovascular disease, linking HDL-C to triglyceride metabolism and atherosclerosis. Fil: Feng, Ma. Inserm; Francia. Université Pierre et Marie Curie; Francia Fil: Darabi, Maryam. Université Pierre et Marie Curie; Francia. Inserm; Francia Fil: Tubeuf, Emilie. Inserm; Francia. Université Pierre et Marie Curie; Francia Fil: Canicio, Aurélie. Université Pierre et Marie Curie; Francia. Inserm; Francia Fil: Lhomme, Marie. Institute Of Cardiometabolism And Nutrition; Francia Fil: Frisdal, Eric. Inserm; Francia. Université Pierre et Marie Curie; Francia Fil: Lanfranchi Lebreton, Sandrine. Université Pierre et Marie Curie; Francia Fil: Matheron, Lucrèce. Université Pierre et Marie Curie; Francia Fil: Rached, Fabiana. Université Pierre et Marie Curie; Francia. Inserm; Francia Fil: Ponnaiah, Maharajah. Institute Of Cardiometabolism And Nutrition; Francia Fil: Serrano, Carlos V.. Instituto Do Coracao Do Hospital Das Clinicas; Brasil Fil: Santos, Raul D.. Instituto Do Coracao Do Hospital Das Clinicas; Brasil Fil: Brites, Fernando Daniel. Universidad de Buenos Aires; Argentina. Instituto Do Coracao Do Hospital Das Clinicas; Brasil Fil: Bolbach, Gerard. Université Pierre et Marie Curie; Francia Fil: Gautier, Emmanuel. Université Pierre et Marie Curie; Francia. Inserm; Francia Fil: Huby, Thierry. Inserm; Francia. Université Pierre et Marie Curie; Francia Fil: Carrie, Alain. Inserm; Francia. Université Pierre et Marie Curie; Francia Fil: Bruckert, Eric. Inserm; Francia. Université Pierre et Marie Curie; Francia Fil: Guerin, Maryse. Université Pierre et Marie Curie; Francia. Inserm; Francia Fil: Couvert, Philippe. Inserm; Francia. Université Pierre et Marie Curie; Francia Fil: Giral, Philippe. Université Pierre et Marie Curie; Francia. Inserm; Francia Fil: Lesnik, Philippe. Université Pierre et Marie Curie; Francia. Inserm; Francia Fil: Le Goff, Wilfried. Université Pierre et Marie Curie; Francia. Inserm; Francia Fil: Guillas, Isabelle. Inserm; Francia. Université Pierre et Marie Curie; Francia Fil: Kontush, Anatol. Inserm; Francia. Université Pierre et Marie Curie; Francia