Dietary β-carotene regulates interleukin-1β-induced expression of apolipoprotein E in astrocytes isolated from stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSP) have an abnormality in cholesterol synthesis, but the pathological relevance of this to stroke and related neuronal disorders is not yet clear. The induction of astrocyte-derived cholesterol transportation to neurons by apolipoprotein E (apoE) promotes neuronal repair after brain injuries such as stroke. Such repair is reduced by interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) and stroke conditions. Furthermore, fibroblast growth factor 1 (FGF1) regulates the production of apoE-cholesterol-rich high density lipoproteins (HDL) and induces gliosis of astrocytes. On the other hand, high levels of plasma carotenoids reduce the risk of ischemic stroke. Thus, we investigated the expression of apoE in primary astrocytes that had been treated with IL-1β or β-carotene. In addition, we compared the expression levels of Apoe genes in astrocytes from SHRSP/Izm and normal control rats, Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY/Izm) following hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R). The expression levels of genes and proteins were investigated by RT-PCR, Western blotting (WB), and immunofluorescence analysis. IL-1β decreased the expression levels of the Apoe gene. Conversely, β-carotene significantly enhanced the expression levels of genes related to cholesterol regulation, including Abca1, Abcg1, Hmgcr as well as Apoe. During H/R, the gene expression levels of Apoe were decreased in the SHRSP/Izm rats in comparison with the WKY/Izm rats. These results suggest that IL-1β decreases Apoe expression levels, whereas β-carotene strongly elevates Apoe levels and inhibits FGF1-mediated gliosis of astrocytes. Furthermore, under hypoxic stress, astrocytes isolated from SHRSP/Izm rats displayed altered regulation of Apoe compared with those from WKY/Izm rats.