Acyl-Coenzyme A:Cholesterol Acyltransferase-2 (ACAT-2) Is Responsible for Elevated Intestinal ACAT Activity in Diabetic Rats

Abstract
Objective— Diabetes-induced dyslipidemia is seen in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. This is caused, in part, by elevated intestinal acyl-coenzyme A:cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT) activity. Because two ACAT isozymes (ACAT-1 and ACAT-2) were identified, in the present study we determined which ACAT isozyme was involved in the elevated intestinal ACAT activity in diabetic rats. Methods and Results— We cloned a full-length cDNA of rat ACAT-2. Its overexpression in ACAT-deficient AC29 cells demonstrated that the ACAT activity is derived from the cloned cDNA, and a 45-kDa protein of rat ACAT-2 cross-reacts with an anti-human ACAT-2 antibody. The tissue distribution of rat ACAT-2 mRNA revealed its restricted expression to liver and small intestine. Immunohistochemical analyses using an anti-human ACAT-2 antibody demonstrated that ACAT-2 is localized in villus–crypt axis of rat small intestine. The intestinal ACAT activity in diabetic rats was significantly immunodepleted by an anti–ACAT-2 antibody but ... Diabetic rats exhibit dyslipidemia caused, in part, by elevated intestinal acyl-coenzyme A:cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT) activity. We determined which ACAT isozyme (ACAT-1 or ACAT-2) was involved in the elevated intestinal ACAT activity in diabetic rats. We demonstrated an important role of ACAT-2, implicating its involvement in dyslipidemia in diabetic patients.

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