The influence of repeated administration of poloxamer 407 on serum lipoproteins and protease activity in mouse liver and heart

Can J Physiol Pharmacol. 2012 Nov;90(11):1456-68. doi: 10.1139/y2012-118. Epub 2012 Nov 13.

Abstract

The effects of repeated administration of poloxamer 407 (P-407) on lipoprotein-cholesterol (LP-C) and lipoprotein-triglyceride (LP-TG) fractions and subfractions, as well as the effect on liver and heart proteases, were studied. Repeated administration of P-407 to male CBA mice resulted in a model of atherosclerosis with increased diastolic blood pressure; there was a drastic increase in total serum cholesterol and especially TG. A novel small-angle X-ray scattering method for the determination of the fractional and subfractional composition of LP-C and LP-TG was used. In chronically P-407-treated mice, P-407 significantly increased atherogenic low-density lipoprotein C (LDL-C) fractions, as well as intermediate-density lipoprotein C (IDL-C), and LDL₁₋₃-C subfractions, and very-low-density lipoprotein-C (VLDL-C) fractions, as well as VLDL₁₋₂-C and VLDL₃₋₅-C subfractions), to a lesser extent, the total anti-atherogenic high-density lipoprotein C (HDL-C) fraction, as well as HDL₂-C and HDL₃-C subfractions. Additionally, we demonstrated an increase in the serum chitotriosidase activity, without significant changes in serum matrix metalloprotease (MMP) activity. Morphological changes observed in P-407-treated mice included atherosclerosis in the heart and storage syndrome in the liver macrophages. P-407 significantly increased the activity of cysteine, aspartate proteases, and MMPs in the heart, and only the activity of cathepsin B and MMPs in the liver of mice. Thus, repeated administration of P-407 to mice induced atherosclerosis secondary to sustained dyslipidemia and formation of foamy macrophages in liver, and also modulated the activity of heart and liver proteases.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Atherosclerosis / etiology*
  • Atherosclerosis / immunology
  • Atherosclerosis / metabolism
  • Atherosclerosis / pathology
  • Cathepsins / metabolism
  • Cholesterol / blood
  • Disease Models, Animal*
  • Dyslipidemias / chemically induced*
  • Dyslipidemias / physiopathology
  • Foam Cells / immunology
  • Foam Cells / ultrastructure
  • Hexosaminidases / blood
  • Hypertension / chemically induced
  • Hypertension / physiopathology
  • Lipoproteins / blood*
  • Lipoproteins, IDL / blood
  • Lipoproteins, VLDL / blood
  • Liver / enzymology*
  • Liver / immunology
  • Liver / ultrastructure
  • Male
  • Metalloproteases / metabolism
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred CBA
  • Myocardium / enzymology*
  • Myocardium / ultrastructure
  • Poloxamer
  • Triglycerides / blood

Substances

  • Lipoproteins
  • Lipoproteins, IDL
  • Lipoproteins, VLDL
  • Triglycerides
  • lipoprotein cholesterol
  • lipoprotein triglyceride
  • Poloxamer
  • Cholesterol
  • Hexosaminidases
  • chitotriosidase
  • Cathepsins
  • Metalloproteases