Cells (Mar 2024)

Low Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Decreases the Expression of Adenosine A<sub>2A</sub> Receptor and Lipid Rafts-Protein Flotillin-1: Insights on Cardiovascular Risk of Hypercholesterolemia

  • Marie-Charlotte Chaptal,
  • Marie Maraninchi,
  • Giorgia Musto,
  • Julien Mancini,
  • Hedi Chtioui,
  • Janine Dupont-Roussel,
  • Marion Marlinge,
  • Julien Fromonot,
  • Nathalie Lalevee,
  • Florian Mourre,
  • Sophie Beliard,
  • Régis Guieu,
  • René Valero,
  • Giovanna Mottola

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/cells13060488
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 13, no. 6
p. 488

Abstract

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High blood levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol (LDL-C) are associated with atherosclerosis, mainly by promoting foam cell accumulation in vessels. As cholesterol is an essential component of cell plasma membranes and a regulator of several signaling pathways, LDL-C excess may have wider cardiovascular toxicity. We examined, in untreated hypercholesterolemia (HC) patients, selected regardless of the cause of LDL-C accumulation, and in healthy participants (HP), the expression of the adenosine A2A receptor (A2AR), an anti-inflammatory and vasodilatory protein with cholesterol-dependent modulation, and Flotillin-1, protein marker of cholesterol-enriched plasma membrane domains. Blood cardiovascular risk and inflammatory biomarkers were measured. A2AR and Flotillin-1 expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) was lower in patients compared to HP and negatively correlated to LDL-C blood levels. No other differences were observed between the two groups apart from transferrin and ferritin concentrations. A2AR and Flotillin-1 proteins levels were positively correlated in the whole study population. Incubation of HP PBMCs with LDL-C caused a similar reduction in A2AR and Flotillin-1 expression. We suggest that LDL-C affects A2AR expression by impacting cholesterol-enriched membrane microdomains. Our results provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying cholesterol toxicity, and may have important clinical implication for assessment and treatment of cardiovascular risk in HC.

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