A novel approach to oral apoA-I mimetic therapy.

Transgenic tomato plants were constructed with an empty vector (EV) or a vector expressing an apoA-I mimetic peptide, 6F. EV or 6F tomatoes were harvested, lyophilized, ground into powder, added to Western diet (WD) at 2.2% by weight, and fed to LDL receptor-null (LDLR(-/-)) mice at 45 mg/kg/day 6F. After 13 weeks, the percent of the aorta with lesions was 4.1 ± 4%, 3.3 ± 2.4%, and 1.9 ± 1.4% for WD, WD + EV, and WD + 6F, respectively (WD + 6F vs. WD, P = 0.0134; WD + 6F vs. WD + EV, P = 0.0386; WD + EV vs. WD, not significant). While body weight did not differ, plasma serum amyloid A (SAA), total cholesterol, triglycerides, and lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) levels were less in WD + 6F mice; P < 0.0295. HDL cholesterol and paroxonase-1 activity (PON) were higher in WD + 6F mice (P = 0.0055 and P = 0.0254, respectively), but not in WD + EV mice. Plasma SAA, total cholesterol, triglycerides, LPA, and 15-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (HETE) levels positively correlated with lesions (P < 0.0001); HDL cholesterol and PON were inversely correlated (P < 0.0001). After feeding WD + 6F: i) intact 6F was detected in small intestine (but not in plasma); ii) small intestine LPA was decreased compared with WD + EV (P < 0.0469); and iii) small intestine LPA 18:2 positively correlated with the percent of the aorta with lesions (P < 0.0179). These data suggest that 6F acts in the small intestine and provides a novel approach to oral apoA-I mimetic therapy.

Oral D-4F causes formation of pre-beta high-density lipoprotein and improves high-density lipoprotein-mediated cholesterol efflux and reverse cholesterol transport from macrophages in apolipoprotein E-null mice.

BACKGROUND: These studies were designed to determine the mechanism of action of an oral apolipoprotein (apo) A-I mimetic peptide, D-4F, which previously was shown to dramatically reduce atherosclerosis in mice. METHODS AND RESULTS: Twenty minutes after 500 microg of D-4F was given orally to apoE-null mice, small cholesterol-containing particles (CCPs) of 7 to 8 nm with pre-beta mobility and enriched in apoA-I and paraoxonase activity were found in plasma. Before D-4F, both mature HDL and the fast protein liquid chromatography fractions containing the CCPs were proinflammatory. Twenty minutes after oral D-4F, HDL and CCPs became antiinflammatory, and there was an increase in HDL-mediated cholesterol efflux from macrophages in vitro. Oral D-4F also promoted reverse cholesterol transport from intraperitoneally injected cholesterol-loaded macrophages in vivo. In addition, oral D-4F significantly reduced lipoprotein lipid hydroperoxides (LOOH), except for pre-beta HDL fractions, in which LOOH increased. CONCLUSIONS: The mechanism of action of oral D-4F in apoE-null mice involves rapid formation of CCPs, with pre-beta mobility enriched in apoA-I and paraoxonase activity. As a result, lipoprotein LOOH are reduced, HDL becomes antiinflammatory, and HDL-mediated cholesterol efflux and reverse cholesterol transport from macrophages are stimulated.