Injection of paraoxonase 1 (PON1) to mice stimulates their HDL and macrophage antiatherogenicity.

We analyzed, for the first time, the effects of recombinant PON1 (rePON1) intraperitoneal injection to C₅₇BL/6 mice on their HDL and macrophage antiatherogenic properties. Thioglycolate-treated mice were injected with either saline (Control), or rePON1 (50 μg/mouse), and 20 H post injection, their blood samples and peritoneal macrophages (MPM) were collected. A significant increase in serum and HDL-PON1 arylesterase and lactonase activities was noted. Similarly, a significant increment, by 3.8 and 2.8 fold, in MPM-PON1 arylesterase and lactonase activities, respectively, as compared to the activities in control MPM was observed. The HDL from rePON1-injected mice was resistant to oxidation by copper ions as compared to control HDL. Furthermore, enrichment of the mouse HDL with rePON1 increased its ability to induce cholesterol efflux from J774A.1 macrophage cell line, and to inhibit macrophage-mediated LDL oxidation. In MPM from rePON1-injected mice vs. control MPM, there was a significant reduction in cholesterol mass, by 42%, in association with inhibition in cellular cholesterol biosynthesis rate, by 33%, and with significant stimulation, by 65%, of human HDL-mediated cholesterol efflux from the cells. We conclude that rePON1 injection to mice improved the mice HDL and MPM antiatherogenic properties, and these effects could probably lead to attenuation of atherosclerosis development.