The peroxisome-proliferator-activated receptor alpha agonist ciprofibrate severely aggravates hypercholesterolaemia and accelerates the development of atherosclerosis in mice lacking apolipoprotein E.

Mice lacking apolipoprotein E (apoE) are characterized by severe hypercholesterolaemia, caused by an abnormal accumulation of apolipoprotein B-48 (apoB-48)-carrying remnants of chylomicrons and very-low-density lipoproteins (VLDL) in the plasma, and by the spontaneous development of atherosclerotic lesions. Ciprofibrate is a hypolipidaemic compound that acts primarily by enhancing the oxidation of fatty acids in the liver and, consequently, decreasing the production of hepatic VLDL. In the present study, homozygous apoE-deficient mice were fed with a normal chow diet, supplemented with ciprofibrate. We report that, as anticipated, ciprofibrate treatment (a) stimulated hepatic fatty acid oxidation, as indicated by an increase in the mRNA levels of peroxisomal fatty acyl-CoA oxidase (AOX) and peroxisomal bifunctional enzyme, and (b) decreased the hepatic secretion of VLDL into the plasma, as determined by treating the animals with Triton WR-1339. Paradoxically, the apoE-deficient mice developed a 3-4-fold increase in their plasma cholesterol levels. A similar effect was observed in apoE-deficient mice treated with other peroxisome-proliferator-activated receptor alpha agonists (fenofibrate, bezafibrate and WY14,643). By FPLC of the plasma and Western-blot analysis, we determined that the enhanced hypercholesterolaemia was due to an increased accumulation of apoB-48-carrying lipoprotein remnants in the plasma. Consistent with this finding, atherosclerotic lesions in animals treated with ciprofibrate for 90 days were considerably more advanced than in untreated animals. These results indicate that the ciprofibrate-induced accumulation of apoB-48-carrying remnants in apoE-deficient mice is caused by the inhibition of an as yet uncharacterized apoE-independent mechanism of removal of remnant from the circulation by the liver.