In conclusion, stimulation of hydrolysis of CE in macrophages induces the expression of ABCA1 gene primarily via the LXR-dependent pathway and can be useful for the prevention of atherosclerosis.
Taken together, the current study demonstrates that APN might protect against atherosclerosis by increasing HDL assembly through enhancing ABCA1 pathway and apoA-1 synthesis in the liver.
The role of high levels of high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) in protection against development of atherosclerosis is generally attributed to its role in reverse cholesterol transport, and the ATP binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1) is a key element of this process.
This study was performed to test the reported association between the -565C>T polymorphism and atherosclerosis severity and to investigate whether this variant per se had an effect on promoter activity of the ABCA1 gene.
The K allele of the R219K variant was significantly more frequent in FH subjects without premature CHD (0.32, 95% CI 0.27 to 0.37) than in FH subjects with premature CHD (0.25, 95% CI 0.21 to 0.29) (p<0.05), suggesting that the genetic variant R219K in ABCA1 could influence the development and progression of atherosclerosis in FH subjects.
In this study we review how genetic variation at the ABCA1 locus affects its role in the maintenance of lipid homeostasis and the natural progression of atherosclerosis.
In particular, the relative contribution of hepatic and peripheral ABCA1 to plasma HDL levels and to reverse cholesterol transport, as well as the potential role of ABCA1 in modulating the plasma concentrations of the apolipoprotein B-containing lipoproteins and protecting against atherosclerosis, seem to be promising areas of investigation.
In summary, these results establish that, in the presence of apoE, overexpression of ABCA1 modulates HDL as well as apoB-containing lipoprotein metabolism and reduces atherosclerosis in vivo, and indicate that pharmacological agents that will increase ABCA1 expression may reduce atherogenic risk in humans.