An in vitro model to study lipolysis of rat hepatic very low density lipoprotein using cardiac lipoprotein lipase

1984 ◽  
Vol 62 (11) ◽  
pp. 1076-1080 ◽  
Author(s):  
Louise Brissette ◽  
Simon-Pierre Noël

The purpose of this work was to design an in vitro model for studying the lipolysis of very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) under conditions that approximate those likely to exist in the rat circulation. We first measured the total lipase activity available in the circulation of normal fasted rats. Knowing the VLDL-triacylglycerol concentration and the circulating time of VLDL in rat serum, we calculated that incubating 80 mU of lipoprotein lipase activity per milligram of VLDL triacylglycerols at 37 °C, for 50 min, approximated the in vivo conditions of lipolysis in normal fasted rats. Under these conditions, different concentrations of albumin were tested. The degree of lipolysis gradually increased from 25 ± 10% without albumin to 75 ± 5% (mean ± SD, n = 3) with 4% albumin. No further increase occurred above 4% albumin. The rate of triacylglycerol hydrolysis was faster with VLDL having a high triacylglycerol/protein ratio. However after 50–60 min of incubation, the extent of hydrolysis tended to become similar for all VLDL (75–90%). This suggests that the rate of VLDL hydrolysis differs from one particle to another (depending on the size), but the extent of hydrolysis ends up being approximately the same. Furthermore, addition of high density lipoprotein to the incubation medium did not affect the rate nor the extent of triacylglycerol hydrolysis. We conclude that a large proportion of VLDL triacylglycerols can be hydrolyzed in the normal fasted rat if there is no limitation in the capacity of fatty acid removal from the lipolysis site. The physiological significance of these results obtained in vitro is discussed.

1982 ◽  
Vol 156 (1) ◽  
pp. 230-242 ◽  
Author(s):  
F C de Beer ◽  
A K Soutar ◽  
M L Baltz ◽  
I M Trayner ◽  
A Feinstein ◽  
...  

C-reactive protein (CRP), the classical acute-phase protein, can bind phospholipids by virtue of its specific, calcium-dependent reactivity with phosphorylcholine residues. However, analysis of acute-phase serum by gel filtration and by density gradient ultracentrifugation showed that the CRP was in a free, uncomplexed form, despite the coexistent presence of the various classes of serum lipoproteins, all of which contain phospholipids. In contrast, when isolated CRP was aggregated by immobilization at a sufficient density on a solid phase and then exposed to normal human serum, it selectively bound low density lipoprotein (LDL) and traces of very low density lipoprotein. The reaction was calcium dependent and reversible by free phosphorylcholine but not by heparin. LDL isolated from normal plasma was also bound by aggregated CRP. CRP reacts in vitro with a wide variety of different ligands both of extrinsic and of autogenous origin, e.g., microbial products and damaged cell membranes, respectively. If CRP aggregated in vivo by complexing with these ligands than acquires the capacity to selectively bind LDL, the phenomenon may have significant implications for the function of CRP and for the metabolism, clearance, and deposition of LDL.


1996 ◽  
Vol 314 (1) ◽  
pp. 103-108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine S. BOURGEOIS ◽  
David WIGGINS ◽  
Geoffrey F. GIBBONS

Male Wistar rats were fitted with subcutaneous osmotic minipumps that delivered insulin at a constant rate of 0.20 i.u./h for 7 days. This treatment raised the plasma insulin concentration from 31±4 to 201±64 μ-i.u./ml. Hepatocytes prepared from the hyperinsulinaemic animals secreted very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) triacylglycerol (TAG) at a higher rate (172±21 μg per 24 h per mg cell protein) than did those from sham-operated controls (109±12 μg per 24 h per mg) (P < 0.05). However, chronic exogenous hyperinsulinaemia had no stimulatory effect on the secretion of VLDL apolipoprotein B (apoB) in derived hepatocytes compared with those from the sham-operated controls (2.32±0.38 compared with 3.09±0.40 μg per 24 h per mg). Hepatocytes from the hyperinsulinaemic rats thus secreted larger VLDL particles as evidenced by the increased TAG:apoB ratio (78.4±13.1 compared with 38.4±7.6; P < 0.05). In hepatocytes from the hyperinsulinaemic rats a larger proportion of the newly synthesized TAG was secreted as VLDL. Hepatocytes from the hyperinsulinaemic and the sham-operated control animals were equally sensitive to the inhibitory effect of insulin added in vitro on the secretion of VLDL TAG. Insulin added in vitro to the culture medium of hepatocytes from hyperinsulinaemic animals significantly decreased the TAG:apoB ratio of the secreted VLDL. This change did not occur in hepatocytes from sham-operated rats. These results suggest that, in vivo, chronic hyperinsulinaemia is not in itself sufficient to desensitize the liver to the acute inhibitory effect of insulin on the secretion of VLDL.


1989 ◽  
Vol 263 (3) ◽  
pp. 937-943 ◽  
Author(s):  
J M Duerden ◽  
S M Bartlett ◽  
G F Gibbons

High rates of hepatic cellular triacylglycerol synthesis and very-low-density-lipoprotein (VLDL) triacylglycerol output were maintained in vitro for at least 3 days when hepatocytes were cultured in a medium lacking insulin but supplemented with 1 microM-dexamethasone, 10 mM-lactate, 1 mM-pyruvate and 0.75 mM-oleate (supplemented medium). Under these conditions VLDL output remained constant, whereas cell triacyglycerol content increased 10-fold over 3 days, suggesting that the secretory process was saturated. Insulin, present during the first 24 h period, enhanced the storage of cellular triacylglycerol by inhibiting the secretion of VLDL. This stored triacyglycerol was subsequently released into the medium as VLDL if insulin was removed. With the supplemented medium the increased rate of VLDL secretion after insulin removal exceeded that observed under ‘saturating’ conditions, suggesting that pre-treatment with insulin enhanced the capacity for VLDL secretion. In contrast with the short-term (24 h) effects of insulin, longer-term exposure (greater than 48 h) to insulin enhanced the secretion of VLDL compared with insulin-untreated cultures. Under these conditions, insulin increased the net rates of triacylglycerol synthesis. The results suggest that insulin affects the secretion of VLDL triacylglycerol by two distinct and opposing mechanisms: first, by direct inhibition of secretion; second by increasing triacylglycerol synthesis, which stimulates secretion. The net effect at any time depends upon the relative importance of each of these processes.


1997 ◽  
Vol 321 (2) ◽  
pp. 445-450 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miek C. JONG ◽  
Janine H. van REE ◽  
Vivian E. H. DAHLMANS ◽  
Rune R. FRANTS ◽  
Marten H. HOFKER ◽  
...  

The function of apolipoprotein (apo) C1 in vivo is not clearly defined. Because transgenic mice overexpressing human apoC1 show elevated triacylglycerol (TG) levels [Simonet, Bucay, Pitas, Lauer and Taylor (1991) J. Biol. Chem. 266, 8651Ő8654], an as yet unknown role for apoC1 in TG metabolism has been suggested. Here we investigated directly the effect of the complete absence of apoC1 on very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL)-TG lipolysis, clearance and production, by performing studies with the previously generated apoC1-deficient mice. On a sucrose-rich, low fat/low cholesterol (LFC) diet, apoC1-deficient mice accumulate in their circulation VLDL particles, which contain relatively lower amounts of lipids when compared with VLDL isolated from control mice. Lipolysis assays in vitro on VLDL from apoC1-deficient and control mice showed no differences in apparent Km and Vmax values (0.27ŷ0.06 versus 0.24ŷ0.03 mmol of TG/litre and 0.40ŷ0.03 versus 0.36ŷ0.03 mmol of non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA)/min per litre respectively). To correct for potential differences in the size of the VLDL particles, the resulting Km values were also expressed relative to apoB concentration. Under these conditions apoC1-deficient VLDL displayed a lower, but not significant, Km value when compared with control VLDL (3.44ŷ0.71 versus 4.44ŷ0.52 mmol of TG2/g apoB per litre). VLDL turnover studies with autologous injections of [3H]TG-VLDL in vivo showed that the VLDL fractional catabolic rate (FCR) was decreased by up to 50% in the apoC1-deficient mice when compared with control mice (10.5ŷ3.4 versus 21.0ŷ1.2/h of pool TG). No significant differences between apoC1-deficient and control mice were observed in the hepatic VLDL production estimated by Triton WR139 injections (0.19ŷ0.02 versus 0.21ŷ0.05 mmol/h of TG per kg) and in the extra-hepatic lipolysis of VLDL-TG (4.99ŷ1.62 versus 3.46ŷ1.52/h of pool TG) in vivo. Furthermore, [125I]VLDLŐapoB turnover experiments in vivo also showed a 50% decrease in the FCR of VLDL in apoC1-deficient mice when compared with control mice on the LFC diet (1.1ŷ0.3 versus 2.1ŷ0.1/h of pool apoB). When mice were fed a very high fat/high cholesterol (HFC) diet, the VLDLŐapoB FCR was further decreased in apoC1-deficient mice (0.4ŷ0.1 versus 1.4ŷ0.4/h of pool apoB). We conclude that, in apoC1-deficient mice, the FCR of VLDL is reduced because of impaired uptake of VLDL remnants by hepatic receptors, whereas the production and lipolysis of VLDL-TG is not affected.


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