A monoclonal antibody and corresponding ELISA were recently made available for detecting a preß1 subclass of HDL particles. Using this ELISA, Troutt et al. sought to investigate whether the apolipoprotein (apo) AI mimetic peptide D4F increased the formation of preß1 HDL particles. For that purpose, plasma from healthy volunteers was incubated with either D4F, apo AI, or vehicle. It was found that the apo AI mimetic peptide increased the formation of preß1 HDL particles in a dose-dependent manner, a process that could be noticed after as little as 1 minute and was maximal within 1 hour. Results of the ELISA correlated well with the band intensity of the preß1 HDL observed with Western blotting. Given the fact that apo AI mimetic peptides are currently being examined as potential therapeutic agents, results of the present investigation provide some insights on how these mimetic peptides work.
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