Probucol does not alter acetylated low density lipoprotein uptake by murine peritoneal macrophages.

It has been suggested that the anti-atherogenic effect of probucol (MDL 11,309) in familial hypercholesterolemic rabbits may be due in part to the inhibition of the uptake of modified low density lipoproteins by macrophages in the arterial wall. To test this hypothesis, mice were treated with dietary probucol (0.25%) for fourteen days, peritoneal macrophages were isolated and the uptake of acetylated low density lipoprotein (ALDL) was studied. In addition, peritoneal macrophages from control animals were treated with probucol (200 micrograms/ml) for 24 h in vitro prior to the ALDL uptake assay. The assay involved a fluorescent ALDL probe (dioctadecyltetramethylindocarbocyanine perchlorate-labeled ALDL), and measurement of uptake with a flow cytometer. No differences in ALDL uptake were detected between the control macrophages and macrophages treated with probucol in vitro or macrophages taken from probucol-treated mice.