Two lines of transgenic mice, hAIItg-␦ and hAIItg-, expressing human apolipoprotein (apo)A-II at 2 and 4 times the normal concentration, respectively, displayed on standard chow postprandial chylomicronemia, large quantities of very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) and low density lipoprotein (LDL) but greatly reduced high density lipoprotein (HDL). Hypertriglyceridemia may result from increased VLDL production, decreased VLDL catabolism, or both. Post-Triton VLDL production was comparable in transgenic and control mice. Postheparin lipoprotein lipase (LPL) and hepatic lipase activities decreased at most by 30% in transgenic mice, whereas adipose tissue and muscle LPL activities were unaffected, indicating normal LPL synthesis. However, VLDL-triglyceride hydrolysis by exogenous LPL was considerably slower in transgenic compared with control mice, with the apparent V max of the reaction decreasing proportionately to human apoA-II expression. Human apoA-II was present in appreciable amounts in the VLDL of transgenic mice, which also carried apoC-II. The addition of purified apoA-II in postheparin plasma from control mice induced a dose-dependent decrease in LPL and hepatic lipase activities. In conclusion, overexpression of human apoA-II in transgenic mice induced the proatherogenic lipoprotein profile of low plasma HDL and postprandial hypertriglyceridemia because of decreased VLDL catabolism by LPL. Low plasma HDL1 levels are negatively correlated with the risk of atherosclerosis. Although a number of metabolic functions of HDL have been identified, no direct link has been established between HDL functions and its antiatherogenic effect (1). In vitro studies have shown that apolipoprotein (apo)A-I, the major HDL apolipoprotein, activates reverse cholesterol transport from extrahepatic tissues to the liver (2). However, conflicting results have been reported concerning the role of apoA-II, the second most abundant HDL apolipoprotein (3, 4). Studies of transgenic mice overexpressing human apoA-I and apoA-II reported that apoA-I protected more against aortic lesions than apoA-II (3). Furthermore, HDL from transgenic mice overexpressing mouse apoA-II lost the ability of HDL to protect against low density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation (5) and was even proinflammatory (6). Deficiency of either apoA-I (7, 8) or apoA-II (9) obtained by gene targeting technology resulted in very low plasma HDL, showing the critical importance of both apolipoproteins in maintaining the normal structure and metabolism of HDL. At present, apoA-II has been linked with HDL metabolism only, but its exact role remains to be elucidated.Studies of transgenic mice expressing human (10 -13) or murine (14, 15) apoA-II, alone or in combination with human apoA-I, apoC-III, and cholesterol ester transfer protein (16), have provided interesting information. When human apoA-II was expressed at normal levels, overall lipoprotein metabolism was not markedly modified, except for the appearance of a smaller HDL population containing solely human apoA-II (10). At...

Overexpression of human apolipoprotein A-II (apo A-II) in mice induced postprandial hypertriglyceridemia and marked reduction in plasma HDL concentration and particle size [Boisfer et al. (1999) J. Biol. Chem. 274, 11564-11572]. We presently compared lipoprotein metabolism in three transgenic lines displaying plasma concentrations of human apo A-II ranging from normal to 4 times higher, under ad libitum feeding and after an overnight fast. Fasting dramatically decreased VLDL and lowered circulating human apo A-II in transgenic mice; conversely, plasma HDL levels increased in all genotypes. The apo A-I content of HDL was inversely related to the expression of human apo A-II, probably reflecting displacement of apo A-I by an excess of apo A-II. Thus, the molar ratios of apo A-II/A-I in HDL were significantly higher in fed as compared with fasted animals of the same transgenic line, while endogenous LCAT activity concomitantly decreased. The number and size of HDL particles decreased in direct proportion to the level of human apo A-II expression. Apo A-II was abundantly present in all HDL particles, in contrast to apo A-I mainly present in large ones. Two novel findings were the presence of pre-beta migrating HDL transporting only human apo A-II in the higher-expressing mice and the increase of plasma HDL concentrations by fasting in control and transgenic mice. These findings highlight the reciprocal modifications of VLDL and HDL induced by the feeding-fasting transition and the key role of the molar ratio of apo A-II/A-I as a determinant of HDL particle metabolism and pre-beta HDL formation.