Formation, structure and metabolism of high density lipoproteins containing both apoAI and apoAII on the same particle

众所周知，血液中高水平的胆固醇会导致冠心病。我们还知道，并非血液中的所有胆固醇都是有害的。虽然被称为低密度脂蛋白(LDL)的颗粒中携带的胆固醇会导致心脏病，但血液中其他被称为高密度脂蛋白(HDL)的胆固醇携带者实际上可以预防心脏病的发生。然而，HDL包括几种不同的颗粒群体，其中只有一些具有保护性。高密度脂蛋白预防冠心病的能力的一个决定因素是它们的蛋白质组成。这个项目调查了高密度脂蛋白群体的蛋白质组成如何影响其结构、功能和新陈代谢。它还涉及到了解是什么调节了不同高密度脂蛋白群体的相对浓度。对高密度脂蛋白结构、功能和代谢的研究将使我们了解为什么不同的高密度脂蛋白群体在预防心脏病方面的能力不同。规则研究将告诉我们如何设计治疗方法，以提高那些确实具有保护作用的高密度脂蛋白人群的水平。

It is well known that high levels of cholesterol in blood cause coronary heart disease. It is also known that not all of the cholesterol in blood is bad. Whereas the cholesterol carried in particles called low density lipoproteins (LDLs) causes heart disease, other cholesterol carriers in blood known as high density lipoproteins (HDLs) actually protect against the development of heart disease. However, HDLs include several different populations of particles, only some of which are protective. One determinant of the ability of HDLs to protect against coronary heart disease is their protein composition. This project investigates how the protein composition of HDL populations influences their structure, function and metabolism. It is also concerned with understanding what regulates the relative concentrations of the different HDL populations. The studies of HDL structure, function and metabolism will allow us to understand why the different HDL populations differ in their abilities to protect against heart disease. The regulation studies will tell us how to go about designing therapies to increase the levels of those HDL populations that do protect.