Post-transcriptional regulation of apoC-I synthesis and secretion in human HepG2 cells

ApoC-I plays an important role in controlling plasma lipid metabolism, however little is known about factors regulating the hepatic synthesis and secretion of this apolipoprotein. In the present study, we have carried out experiments with human hepatoma (HepG2) cells, in order to determine the effect of different tissue culture conditions on cellular lipid levels and on the production of apoC-I (and apoE) at the protein and mRNA level. Cells incubated for 48 h with 10% human serum had significantly higher cellular triglyceride (22%, P < 0.05) and cholesterol levels (19%, P < 0.01), higher medium apoC-I and apoE levels (2.6- and 2.9-fold, respectively), but similar levels of apoC-I and apoE mRNA, compared to cells incubated with 10% human lipoprotein-deficient serum (LPDS). Serum containing only HDL, or containing HDL with LDL, also increased cellular lipids and increased secreted apoC-I and apoE levels without altering apoC-I and apoE mRNA levels. Incubation of cells with Intralipid triglyceride (625 μM), increased cellular triglyceride (2.8-fold, P < 0.001), decreased cellular cholesterol (32%, P < 0.01), decreased cellular and medium apoC-I (24 and 26%, P < 0.01) and had no effect on apoC-I mRNA levels. Additional experiments in which cells were loaded with cholesterol (incubation with 10 μg/ml cholesterol plus 1 μg/ml 25-hydroxycholesterol) or depleted of cholesterol (statin treatment) confirmed that secretion of apoC-I by HepG2 cells was dependent on cellular cholesterol levels and independent of changes in apoC-I mRNA levels. These results demonstrate that cellular cholesterol rather than triglyceride levels play a role in controlling apoC-I production by HepG2 cells and that this regulation occurs at a post-transcriptional level.