Altered signal pathway in granulocytes from patients with hypercholesterolemia

• Published in: Journal of lipid research 1999-09, Vol.40 (9), p.1728-1733
• Main Authors: Paragh, G, Kovács, E, Seres, I, Keresztes, T, Balogh, Z, Szabó, J, Teichmann, F, Fóris, G
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Ca2+ signal; Calcium Signaling; Case-Control Studies; Cholesterol - metabolism; formyl-Met-Leu-Phe; granulocytes; Granulocytes - drug effects; Granulocytes - metabolism; Humans; hypercholesterolemia; Hypercholesterolemia - metabolism; In Vitro Techniques; inositol phosphates; Inositol Phosphates - metabolism; leukotrienes; Leukotrienes - biosynthesis; Lipoproteins, LDL - metabolism; Male; Membrane Fluidity; Middle Aged; N-Formylmethionine Leucyl-Phenylalanine - pharmacology; Protein Kinase C - metabolism; Receptors, Formyl Peptide; Receptors, Immunologic - metabolism; Receptors, Peptide - metabolism; Respiratory Burst - drug effects; Signal Transduction - physiology
• ISSN: 0022-2275
• DOI: 10.1016/S0022-2275(20)33420-9

In the present study the signal transduction of the formyl-Met-Leu-Phe receptor was studied in granulocytes obtained from control subjects and patients with elevated low density lipoprotein levels. According to our results, 10 nm formyl-Met-Leu-Phe in control cells activates phospholipase C inducing a pronounced inositol phosphate production followed by a Ca(2+) signal from intracellular pools. The pertussis toxin-sensitive O(2)(-) generation and leukotriene synthesis were moderate. In contrast, in granulocytes from hypercholesterolemic patients, formyl-Met-Leu-Phe triggered an intensive pertussis toxin-insensitive oxidative burst and leukotriene synthesis. The inositol trisphosphate and Ca(2+) signals were decreased significantly in granulocytes of hypercholesterolemic patients and seem to be dependent on the extracellular Ca(2+) content. Furthermore, in the resting granulocytes of hypercholesterolemic patients the [Ca(2+)]i and the membrane-bound protein kinase C activity were higher than in controls, the time of normalization after the low Ca(2+) signal was delayed, while the membrane fluidity was decreased. Our results suggest that in these ex vivo experiments, the high level of circulating low density lipoprotein in patients can affect the membrane composition of granulocytes leading to altered signal transduction by the formyl-Met-Leu-Phe receptor, to altered Ca(2+) pump-activity, and protein kinase C translocation.