Objective—To investigate whether cholesterol efflux to high-density lipoprotein (HDL) via ATP-binding cassette transporter G1 (ABCG1) modulates the interaction of caveolin (Cav) 1 and endothelial NO synthase (eNOS).

Methods and Results—ABCG1 promotes cholesterol and 7-oxysterol efflux from endothelial cells (ECs) to HDL. It was previously reported that ABCG1 protects against dietary cholesterol-induced endothelial dysfunction by promoting the efflux of 7-oxysterols to HDL. Increased cholesterol loading in ECs is known to cause an inhibitory interaction between Cav-1 and eNOS and impaired NO release. In human aortic ECs, free cholesterol loading promoted the interaction of Cav-1 with eNOS, reducing eNOS activity. These effects of cholesterol loading were reversed by HDL in an ABCG1-dependent manner. HDL also reversed the inhibition of eNOS by cholesterol loading in murine lung ECs, but this effect of HDL was abolished in Cav-1–deficient murine lung ECs. Increased interaction of Cav-1 with eNOS was also detected in aortic homogenates of high-cholesterol diet–fed Abcg1^−/− mice, paralleling a decrease in eNOS activity and impaired endothelial function.

Conclusion—The promotion of cholesterol efflux via ABCG1 results in a reduced inhibitory interaction of eNOS with Cav-1.