Heparin Does Not Regulate Circulating Human PCSK9 (Proprotein Convertase Subtilisin-Kexin Type 9) in a General Population-Brief Report.

ABSTRACT:

Background

PCSK9 (proprotein convertase subtilisin-kexin type 9) chaperones the hepatic LDLR (low-density lipoprotein receptor) for lysosomal degradation, elevating serum LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol and promoting atherosclerotic heart disease. Though the major effect on the hepatic LDLR comes from secreted PCSK9, the details of PCSK9 reuptake into the hepatocyte remain unclear. In both tissue culture and animal models, HSPGs (heparan sulfate proteoglycans) on hepatocytes act as co-receptors to promote PCSK9 reuptake. We hypothesized that if this PCSK9:HSPG interaction is important in humans, disrupting it with unfractionated heparin (UFH) would acutely displace PCSK9 from the liver and increase plasma PCSK9.

Methods

We obtained remnant plasma samples from 160 s

SUBMITTER: Xia VQ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10038152 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature