Diabetes, Vol 38, Issue 5 604-609, Copyright © 1989 by American Diabetes Association
Decreased activity of acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase by insulin in human intestinal cell line Caco-2
S Jiao, JB Moberly, TG Cole and G Schonfeld
Lipid Research Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110.
Diabetes mellitus is accompanied by increased intestinal cholesterol
synthesis and cholesterol esterification. Both are reversed by insulin
therapy. To assess whether the action of insulin on cholesterol
esterification by intestinal cells is direct or mediated by other effectors
associated with diabetes, we investigated the effect of insulin on the
activity of microsomal acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT) and on
the incorporation rate of [14C]oleic acid into cholesteryl oleate in the
Caco-2 human intestinal cell line. Microsomal ACAT activity of cells that
were incubated with insulin for 3 h at a concentration of 1, 10, and 100
microU/ml was decreased by 48, 58, and 74%, respectively, compared with
cells cultured in insulinfree medium. This effect was evident as soon as 10
min after the addition of 10 microU/ml insulin. The inhibition by insulin
was reversible. After incubation for 24 h, intracellular
esterified-cholesterol content and the ratio of esterified to nonesterified
cholesterol were significantly lower in the cells treated with insulin (100
microU/ml) than in those not treated with insulin (esterified cholesterol
48.6 +/- 2.0 vs. 74.2 +/- 4.3 nmol/mg protein, respectively, P less than
.005; esterified to nonesterified ratio 0.280 +/- 0.008 vs. 0.359 +/-
0.059, respectively, P less than .05). Cells cultured on filters manifested
physiologic polarity; greater than 90% of [14C]oleic acid-labeled
cholesterol ester secreted by cells was secreted into the basolateral
chambers. Incorporation of [14C]oleic acid into cholesteryl oleate over 24
h in the cells and in the medium of the basolateral chamber was suppressed
by 100 microU/ml insulin by 23 and 40%, respectively. These findings
indicate that insulin acts directly on the enterocytes to suppress
intestinal cholesterol ester synthesis and secretion.