Low Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Decreases the Expression of Adenosine A_2A Receptor and Lipid Rafts-Protein Flotillin-1: Insights on Cardiovascular Risk of Hypercholesterolemia

High blood levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol (LDL-C) are associated with atherosclerosis, mainly by promoting foam cell accumulation in vessels. As cholesterol is an essential component of cell plasma membranes and a regulator of several signaling pathways, LDL-C excess may have wider cardiovascular toxicity. We examined, in untreated hypercholesterolemia (HC) patients, selected regardless of the cause of LDL-C accumulation, and in healthy participants (HP), the expression of the adenosine A(2A) receptor (A(2A)R), an anti-inflammatory and vasodilatory protein with cholesterol-dependent modulation, and Flotillin-1, protein marker of cholesterol-enriched plasma membrane domains. Blood cardiovascular risk and inflammatory biomarkers were measured. A(2A)R and Flotillin-1 expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) was lower in patients compared to HP and negatively correlated to LDL-C blood levels. No other differences were observed between the two groups apart from transferrin and ferritin concentrations. A(2A)R and Flotillin-1 proteins levels were positively correlated in the whole study population. Incubation of HP PBMCs with LDL-C caused a similar reduction in A(2A)R and Flotillin-1 expression. We suggest that LDL-C affects A(2A)R expression by impacting cholesterol-enriched membrane microdomains. Our results provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying cholesterol toxicity, and may have important clinical implication for assessment and treatment of cardiovascular risk in HC.