ABCA1, a member of the ATP-binding cassette transporter family, promotes the efflux of cholesterol and phospholipids from intracellular compartments to extracellular cholesterol acceptors.1) Mutations in the ABCA1 gene result in high-density lipoprotein (HDL) deficiency syndromes, such as Tangier disease, which is characterized by low levels of HDL cholesterol and apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I) and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.2,3) ABCA1 also plays an important role in the central nervous system (CNS). Apolipoprotein E (apoE) is one of the major apolipoproteins in CNS, which interacts with ABCA1 4) to remove cholesterol from cells and generates HDL particles in the cerebrospinal fluid.5) The lack of ABCA1 results in a reduction of apoE levels and lipidated apoE-containing lipoproteins in the brain of ABCA1 Ϫ / Ϫ mice.6) It has also been reported that decreased apoE levels and poorly lipidated apoE increase amyloid-b peptide (Ab), a major component of the senile plaque in Alzheimer disease (AD) brains, deposition in ABCA1 Ϫ / Ϫ mice crossed with the AD mouse model. 7) In contrast, overexpression of ABCA1 results in the reduction of Ab deposition through ABCA1-mediated generation of apoE containing lipoproteins in the AD mouse model 8) suggesting that modulation of ABCA1 expression could be a possible therapeutic strategy for AD.ABCA1 is ubiquitously expressed, the expression of which is transcriptionally regulated. The activation of liver X receptor (LXR) by oxysterols and the nonsteriodal synthetic LXR agonist T0901317 increases ABCA1 gene expression level.
9)ABCA1 is also regulated by peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) through their inductive effects on the expression of LXRa.10) Both of these types of receptor form heterodimers with retinoid X receptors (RXRs), 11) and LXR/RXR and PPARs/LXR heterodimers bind to a promoter sequence on the ABCA1 gene. 10,12) In mice models, the synthetic LXR agonist GW3965 increases the plasma HDL cholesterol level and inhibits the development of atherosclerosis, 13) and decrease Ab deposition in the AD mouse model. 14) Although ABCA1 plays an important role in the development of atherosclerosis and pathogenesis of AD, there are relatively few drugs that can upregulate ABCA1 expression. Thus, identification of upregulators of ABCA1 expression may lead to a therapeutic benefit for patients with cardiovascular disease and AD.Because of their simplicity and sensitivity, reporter gene assay systems are used for high-throughput screening (HTS) to identify new compounds for drug development. These strategies offer the advantages of speed, cost-effectiveness, genome coverage, and immediate biological relevance. In the present study, we have developed an HTS method of identifying ABCA1 upregulators, and screened 118 natural compounds using the developed cell-based assay.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
MaterialsHonokiol and rosiglitazone were purchased from LKT laboratories, Inc. (St. Paul, MN, U.S.A.) and Cayman Chemical (Ann Arbor, MI, U.S.A.), respectively. GW6471,...