[en] In order to study the metabolism of high density lipoprotein (HDL)-carried sterol in the rat, human HDL was reconstituted with [¹⁴C]cholesterol and [³H]cholesteryl ester. After iv injection into immature PMSG-human CG primed rats pretreated with 4-aminopyrazolopyrimidine and aminoglutethimide, there was time-dependent accumulation of ³H and ¹⁴C in various organs which reached a maximum by 15-90 min. On a milligram wet weight basis, uptake of ³H and ¹⁴C was greatest in the adrenals, next in ovaries, followed by the liver, with little uptake by kidneys and spleen. On an organ basis, accumulation was greatest by the liver. Coadministration of excess unlabeled HDL, but not human low density lipoprotein, reduced accumulation of radioactivity by the ovaries and adrenals by 60%, indicating a specific and saturable uptake process. Granulosa cells cultured in lipoprotein-deficient medium with reconstituted HDL formed ³H- and ¹⁴C-labeled 20 alpha-hydroxypregn-4-en-3-one. Over a 24-h period, utilization of both [¹⁴C]cholesterol and [³H]cholesteryl ester was linear, but rates of utilization of the two sterol moieties were not parallel. Lysosomotropic agents had no effect on utilization of either free or esterified cholesterol for steroidogenesis but reduced degradation of ¹²⁵I-labeled low density lipoprotein apoprotein. These findings lend further support to the concept of a distinct HDL pathway in steroidogenic cells of the rat

[en] The authors previously reported a fall in hepatic glucose output (HGO) during sleep accompanied by reductions in glucose utilization (Rd) and free fatty acids (FFAs). This study was undertaken to determine the potential role of changes in Rd and FFA on HGO in nondiabetic men. To determine if the fall in HGO during sleep could be reversed by FFA elevation, seven nondiabetic men underwent [3-3H]glucose infusions from 2200 to 0800, with heparin (90 mU.kg-1.min-1) added at 0200. Glucose appearance (Ra) fell from 11.7 ± 1.1 at 2430 to 8.9 ± 0.8 mumol.kg-1.min-1 (P less than 0.05) at 0200. The fall in Ra was associated with decreases in FFA (0.57 ± 0.10 to 0.48 ± 0.07 mM) and glycerol (0.08 ± 0.01 to 0.06 ± 0.01 mM). Infusion of heparin significantly increased FFA and glycerol (1.09 ± 0.21 and 0.11 ± 0.01 mM, respectively, P less than 0.01) and resulted in a significant fall in plasma alanine, suggesting that gluconeogenesis had been increased. However, rates of glucose turnover were indistinguishable from overnight studies without heparin. In additional studies (n = 6), intralipid and heparin-induced FFA elevation (from 0.61 ± 0.07 to 0.95 ± 0.05 mM, P less than 0.01) stimulated gluconeogenesis ([U-14C]alanine to glucose) twofold (188 ± 22% increase compared to 114 ± 6% in saline control studies, P less than 0.01). However, despite increasing gluconeogenesis, overall HGO did not change (10.6 ± 0.5 vs. 10.7 ± 0.6 mumol.kg-1.min-1) during lipid infusion

[en] Vitamin D binding protein (DBP), a Mr 56,000-58,000 alpha 2-glycoprotein, is the major serum protein involved in the transport of vitamin D sterols. Recently it has been suggested that DBP may also be involved in immunoglobulin G binding to cells. Because the trophoblast is involved in the transport of molecules such as vitamin D and immunoglobulin G to the fetus, we asked whether DBP could be detected on the surface of human placental trophoblast cells. Cytotrophoblasts purified from human term placentae were fixed and made permeant with Triton X-100 and examined by indirect immunofluorescence after incubation with a monoclonal antibody to DBP. Greater than 90% of these cells stained positively, whereas no staining was observed with nonimmune antiserum. The presence of DBP on/in the surface of cytotrophoblasts could also be demonstrated by fluorescent cytometry. When cell surface-associated proteins of cytotrophoblasts were radioiodinated, a Mr 57,000 radiolabeled protein could be immunoisolated from the cell lysate with a purified monospecific polyclonal antibody to DBP. Immunoisolation of this radiolabeled protein was prevented by the addition of excess unlabeled human DBP to the cell lysate before incubation with antibody. This Mr 57,000 radiolabeled protein could also be isolated by affinity chromatography selecting for proteins that bind to globular actin. When cytotrophoblasts were incubated with [³⁵S]methionine for 3 or 18 h, active synthesis of DBP could not be demonstrated by immunoisolation techniques. These studies demonstrate the presence of DBP on the surface of well washed, human cytotrophoblasts. This DBP may be maternally derived, since active synthesis of DBP could not be demonstrated