HDL biology
SW872 liposarcoma cells offer a high-output model for studying cholesterol-driven CETP secretion (J Lipid Res 1996)
Original title: Human liposarcoma cell line, SW872, secretes cholesteryl ester transfer protein in response to cholesterol
Because the lack of a good model cell line has hampered detailed study of CETP regulation and secretion, this study characterized the human liposarcoma cell line SW872 as a CETP-secreting model. SW872 cells, derived from adipose tissue, secreted CETP at levels substantially higher than previously reported cultured cell lines. CETP secretion from SW872 cells was upregulated in a concentration-dependent manner by both 25-OH cholesterol and LDL cholesterol, and analysis of full-length and exon 9-deleted CETP mRNA showed corresponding increases in response to LDL and 25-OH cholesterol, indicating regulation occurs at the message level. The authors conclude that SW872 cells may serve as a useful model for studying the regulation of this important modulator of lipoprotein metabolism.
Original abstract
Cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) mediates the exchange of phospholipids and neutral lipids between the plasma lipoproteins, and plays an important role in high density lipoprotein (HDL) metabolism. While there are reports of low-level CETP secretion from cultured cells, the lack of a good model cell line has hampered the detailed study of CETP regulation and secretion. In this study, we have found that the human liposarcoma cell line, SW872, secretes cholesteryl ester transfer protein at levels substantially higher than observed from other cell lines. The secretion of CETP from this adipose-derived cell was up-regulated by 25-OH cholesterol and by low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in a concentration-dependent manner. Analysis of both full length and exon 9-deleted CETP mRNA demonstrated increases in response to LDL and 25-OH cholesterol, providing evidence for regulation at the message level. Our results suggest that the CETP-producing SW872 cell line may provide a model in which to study the regulation of this important modulator of lipoprotein metabolism.
Summary written by cetpinhibition.org from the published abstract; figures as published. Page updated 19 August 2026. Methods.