Lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase in brain: Does oxidative stress influence the 24-hydroxycholesterol esterification?

24-Hydroxycholesterol (24OH-C) is esterified by the enzyme lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). We report here that the level of 24OH-C esters was lower in CSF of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis than in healthy subjects (54% vs 68% of total 24OH-C, p = 0.0005; n = 8). Similarly, the level of 24OH-C esters in plasma was lower in patients than in controls (62% vs 77% of total 24OH-C; p = 0.0076). The enzyme amount in CSF, as measured by densitometry of the protein band revealed by immunoblotting, was about 4-fold higher in patients than in controls (p = 0.0085). As differences in the concentration of the LCAT stimulator Apolipoprotein E were not found, we hypothesized that the reduced 24OH-C esterification in CSF of patients might depend on oxidative stress. We actually found that oxidative stress reduced LCAT activity in vitro, and 24OH-C effectively stimulated the enzyme secretion from astrocytoma cells in culture. Enhanced LCAT secretion from astrocytes might represent an adaptive response to the increase of non-esterified 24OH-C percentage, aimed to avoid the accumulation of this neurotoxic compound. The low degree of 24OH-C esterification in CSF or plasma might reflect reduced activity of LCAT during neurodegeneration.