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F Karpe

Publications and source records attributed to F Karpe.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2000

Insulin and non-esterified fatty acid relations to alimentary lipaemia and plasma concentrations of postprandial triglyceride-rich lipoproteins in healthy middle-aged men.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Enhanced and prolonged postprandial lipaemia is related to cardiovascular disease but how postprandial lipaemia is regulated is poorly known. We therefore determined the relations of fasting insulin concentrations to fasting and postprandial lipids, lipoproteins and non-esterified fatty acids in middle-aged men. METHODS: The subjects, 99 healthy 50-year-old men with an apolipoprotein E3/3 genotype, ate a mixed meal. The apolipoprotein B-48 and B-100 contents were determined in triglyceride-rich lipoproteins as a measure of chylomicron remnant and very low density lipoprotein particle concentrations. RESULTS: Fasting plasma insulin was associated with the triglyceride response to the test meal, independently of body mass index, waist-to-hip circumference ratio, blood glucose and the insulin effect on fasting plasma triglycerides. Exaggerated and prolonged postprandial lipaemia in subjects in the upper quartile of the plasma insulin distribution was largely accounted for by large (Svedberg flotation rate > 60) very low density lipoproteins and chylomicron remnants. Insulin relations to large postprandial triglyceride-rich lipoproteins exclusively reflected the association between plasma insulin and the fasting plasma concentrations of these lipoprotein species, whereas plasma insulin and late postprandial plasma concentrations of small (Svedberg flotation rate 20-60) chylomicron remnants were related, independently of insulin influences on fasting concentrations. Strong positive relations were found between the late increases in large triglyceride-rich lipoproteins and plasma non-esterified fatty acid concentrations after 6 h. CONCLUSION/INTERPRETATION: The degree of insulin sensitivity is a major determinant of postprandial lipaemia in healthy middle-aged men and could add to the regulation of the basal production of large triglyceride-rich lipoproteins.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed2000

Functional characterization of 4 polymorphisms in promoter region of hepatic lipase gene.

Hepatic lipase (HL) is a lipolytic enzyme involved in the metabolism of plasma lipoproteins, especially high density lipoproteins. Association studies have provided strong evidence for relations of common mutations in the promoter region of the HL gene to postheparin plasma HL activity and the plasma high density lipoprotein cholesterol concentration, but the functional relevance of these polymorphisms has not been evaluated to date. We analyzed the physiological significance of 4 common polymorphisms (-250G/A, -514C/T, -710T/C, and -763A/G, all in strong linkage disequilibrium) in the promoter of the HL gene by use of electrophoretic mobility shift assays and transient transfection studies in HepG2 cells. No consistent evidence was found for a significant contribution of any of these polymorphisms to the basal rate of transcription of the HL gene. These data suggest that the 4 polymorphisms in the promoter region of the HL gene are in linkage disequilibrium with >/=1 as-yet-unknown functional polymorphisms in the HL gene locus with a significant effect on HL metabolism and/or enzymatic activity.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

A functional polymorphism in the promoter region of the microsomal triglyceride transfer protein (MTP -493G/T) influences lipoprotein phenotype in familial hypercholesterolemia.

The microsomal triglyceride transfer protein (MTP) has a key function in intracellular apolipoprotein (apo) B lipidation and secretion of very low density lipoprotein (VLDL). A recently discovered functional polymorphism in the promoter of the MTP gene (-493G/T) affects the plasma concentration of low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and the VLDL distribution between large and small particle species in healthy men. This phenotype is likely to be explained by an effect on VLDL synthesis. Against this background, we studied the effect of the MTP-493G/T polymorphism in a large cohort (217 men and 211 women) with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (FH). A 40% to 50% lower serum triglyceride level was observed in homozygous carriers of the MTP-493 T allele (T/T, 0.93+/-0.34; G/T, 1.54+/-1.40; and G/G, 1.56+/-1.24 mmol/L; T/T vs G/T P=0.04, T/T vs G/G P=0.02). In contrast to the situation in healthy subjects, the MTP promoter polymorphism did not have a significant effect on the LDL cholesterol levels in FH subjects, although the same trend was observed (T/T, 7.31+/-1.87; G/T, 7. 80+/-2.12; and G/G, 7.91+/-2.31 mmol/L, NS). Adjustment for the apo E gene polymorphism by inclusion of subjects homozygous for the apo E3 allele only revealed a reciprocal high density lipoprotein cholesterol-elevating effect (T/T, 1.41+/-0.73; G/T, 1.18+/-0.27; and G/G, 1.16+/-0.29 mmol/L; T/T vs G/T P=0.06, T/T vs G/G P=0.04). This effect seemed to be sex-specific because it was accounted for by the female patients. In conclusion, the LDL cholesterol-lowering effect of the rare MTP gene promoter variant (MTP-493T) present in healthy subjects is shifted to a triglyceride-lowering effect in FH. These data suggest that the MTP gene has a role in modulating the clinical phenotype of FH.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Alimentary lipemia, postprandial triglyceride-rich lipoproteins, and common carotid intima-media thickness in healthy, middle-aged men.

BACKGROUND: Alimentary lipemia has been associated with coronary heart disease and common carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT). This study was designed to investigate the relations of subclasses of postprandial triglyceride-rich lipoproteins (TRLs) with IMT. METHODS AND RESULTS: Ninety-six healthy 50-year-old men with an apolipoprotein (apo) E3/E3 genotype underwent an oral fat tolerance test and B-mode carotid ultrasound examination. The apo B-48 and apo B-100 contents of each fraction of TRLs were determined as a measure of chylomicron remnant and VLDL particle concentrations. In the fasting state, LDL cholesterol (P<0.05) and basal proinsulin (P<0. 05) were significantly related to IMT, whereas HDL cholesterol, plasma triglycerides, and insulin were not. In the postprandial state, plasma triglycerides at 1 to 4 hours (P<0.01 at 2 hours), total triglyceride area under the curve (AUC) (P<0.05), incremental triglyceride AUC (P<0.01), and the large VLDL (Sf 60 to 400 apo B-100) concentration at 3 hours (P<0.05) were significantly related to IMT. Multivariate analyses showed that plasma triglycerides at 2 hours, LDL cholesterol, and basal proinsulin were consistently and independently related to IMT when cumulative tobacco consumption, alcohol intake, waist-to-hip circumference ratio, and systolic blood pressure were included as confounders. CONCLUSIONS: These results provide further evidence for postprandial triglyceridemia as an independent risk factor for early atherosclerosis and also suggest that the postprandial triglyceridemia is a better predictor of IMT than particle concentrations of individual TRLs.

Alcohol Drinking↗
PubMed1999

Distribution of PCB congeners, DDE, hexachlorobenzene, and methylsulfonyl metabolites of PCB and DDE among various fractions of human blood plasma.

The concentrations of chlorinated biphenyls (CBs), 1, 1-bis(4-chlorophenyl)-2,2-dichloroethene (DDE), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), and the methylsulfonyl metabolites of CBs (MeSO(2)-CBs) and DDE (MeSO(2)-DDE) were determined in human plasma samples and in the fractions obtained by ultracentrifugation of plasma into very-low-density (VLDL), low-density (LDL), high-density (HDL) lipoprotein and lipoprotein depleted (LPDP) fractions (containing primarily albumin). The concentrations of triacylglycerols, cholesterol, phospholipids, and apolipoprotein B (apoB) were determined. The organochlorine compounds were associated with all fractions, but predominantly with the LPDP fraction. On an average 44% of CBs, 61% of MeSO(2)-CBs, 73% of DDE, 77% of MeSO(2)-DDE, and 45% of HCB were distributed in the LPDP fraction. A tendency to greater association of 3-methylsulfonyl substituted than of corresponding 4-methylsulfonyl substituted chlorobiphenyls to the LPDP fraction was noticed. Among the lipoprotein fractions, LDL was the main carrier of HCB, DDE and CBs. MeSO(2)-DDE was predominantly found in HDL and MeSO(2)-CBs were distributed equally among the LDL and HDL fractions. Calculating the concentrations of organochlorine compounds in relation to the content of apoB, the levels were about 10 times higher in VLDL than in LDL.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Differences in postprandial concentrations of very-low-density lipoprotein and chylomicron remnants between normotriglyceridemic and hypertriglyceridemic men with and without coronary heart disease.

It has been suggested that the postprandial elevation of plasma triglycerides is more closely linked to coronary heart disease (CHD) than the fasting triglyceride level. However, the postprandial situation is complex, as hepatogenous triglyceride-rich lipoprotein (TRL) particles (apolipoprotein [apo]B-100 and very-low-density lipoprotein [VLDL]) are mixed in the blood with apoB-48-containing lipoproteins secreted from the intestine. To analyze the relative proportion of liver-derived and intestinal apoB-containing TRL in subjects with and without CHD, we performed standardized oral fat-loading tests in young survivors of myocardial infarction, a large proportion of whom are hypertriglyceridemic (HTG), as well as sex- and population-matched healthy control subjects. A special effort was made to recruit healthy HTG subjects as controls for the HTG patients. Fasting plasma triglycerides (3.74+/-1.35 v3.01+/-0.83, NS), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and VLDL lipids, and apoB-100 and apoB-48 content at Svedberg flotation rate (Sf) 60-400, Sf 20-60, and Sf 12-20 did not differ between HTG patients (n = 10) and HTG controls (n = 14). Normotriglyceridemic (NTG) patients (n = 15) had higher fasting plasma triglycerides (1.44+/-0.39 v 0.98+/-0.33 mmol/L, P < .05) and LDL cholesterol (4.07+/-0.71 v 3.43+/-0.64, P < .05) than NTG controls (n = 34). The triglyceride elevation was accounted for by a higher level of small VLDL (apoB-100 in the Sf 20-60 fraction, 52+/-17 v29+/-20 mg/L, P < .05). HTG patients responded with clearly elevated plasma triglycerides in the late postprandial phase, ie, 7, 8, and 9 hours after fat intake. Essentially, this was explained by a retention of large VLDL particles, since HTG patients exhibited no major differences in apoB-48 concentrations in the Sf > 400, Sf 60-400, and Sf 20-60 fractions but showed marked differences in the level of apoB-100 at Sf 60-400 (large VLDL) 9 hours after fat intake when compared with HTG controls (101+/-13 v 57+/-5 mg/L, P < .01). NTG patients were characterized by a more rapid increase of large VLDL in the early postprandial state, ie, 3 hours after fat intake, with a mean increase from baseline to 3 hours of 24.1+/-6.7 mg/L for NTG patients and 11.8+/-2.0 mg/L for controls (P < .05). ApoB-48 levels were also slightly higher, but all TRL parameters returned to baseline within 9 hours after fat intake. In conclusion, elevated triglyceride levels in the postprandial state in CHD patients are explained to a large extent by the accumulation of endogenous TRL. This suggests that the postprandial dyslipidemia encountered in CHD is more dependent on a failure of regulation of endogenous TRL versus the exogenous TRL species.

Alleles↗
PubMed1999

Postprandial lipoprotein metabolism and atherosclerosis.

Postprandial lipids and lipoproteins have been associated with the presence of cardiovascular disease in a large number of case-control studies. Because the metabolic perturbations around the postprandial situation is a key driving force for cholesterol flux between lipoproteins and tissues, together with the augmented generation of potentially atherogenic cholesterol-rich remnant lipoproteins, several hypotheses have been formulated to link excessive lipoproteinaemic response to fat intake with cardiovascular disease. Recent information on the regulation of lipoprotein remnant formation and its relation to atherosclerosis will enable us to test a pertinent clinical question: is there a direct relationship between repeated elevations of postprandial lipoproteins and development of atherosclerosis?

Apolipoproteins B↗
PubMed1999

LDL particle size distribution is associated with carotid intima-media thickness in healthy 50-year-old men.

Results of cross-sectional and prospective studies have suggested that small, dense low-density lipoprotein (LDL) particles predispose to coronary heart disease. We investigated the relationships between plasma concentrations of LDL subfractions and intima-media thickness (IMT) of the common carotid artery (CCA), quantified by B-mode ultrasound, in 94 healthy, 50-year-old men, all of whom were homozygous for the apolipoprotein E3 allele. A novel 3% to 7.5% polyacrylamide gradient gel was developed to provide separation of LDL subfractions with high resolution, as was a procedure to quantify plasma concentrations of these LDL subspecies. The LDL particle size distribution pattern obtained by the gradient gel electrophoresis procedure was in good agreement with the one obtained by a well-established, single-spin density gradient ultracentrifugation technique. LDL-II (particle size, 23.5 to 25.0 nm) was the most abundant subfraction, and its plasma concentration correlated closely with the total LDL cholesterol concentration (r=0. 61, P<0.001) but not with CCA IMT (r=-0.13, NS). In contrast, the plasma concentration of the predominant small, dense LDL particle subfraction (LDL-III; particle size, 22.5 to 23.5 nm) correlated strongly with CCA IMT (r=0.42, P<0.001). In multivariate analysis, the plasma concentration of the LDL-III subfraction contributed significantly to the variation in CCA IMT (R(2)=0.19). When plasma triglycerides and LDL cholesterol were forced into the multivariate model, 10% of the variation in CCA IMT was still accounted for by the LDL-III subfraction. In summary, use of a novel and sensitive gradient gel electrophoresis method for evaluation of LDL heterogeneity provided the basis for demonstrating an independent relation between the plasma concentration of small LDL and IMT of the CCA in healthy, middle-aged men.

Apolipoproteins B↗
PubMed1999

Effects of native, triglyceride-enriched, and oxidatively modified LDL on plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 expression in human endothelial cells.

Whereas VLDL has consistently been shown to induce a concentration-dependent increase in the expression of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and liver cells, variable effects have been reported for native and oxidatively modified LDL. In the present study, activation of PAI-1 protein and mRNA expression by native LDL (nLDL), UV-oxidized LDL (uvLDL), and triglyceride (TG)-enriched LDL was studied in HUVECs by using different incubation times and a wide range of lipoprotein concentrations. No significant increase of PAI-1 protein expression was observed after 4 hours of incubation with nLDL or uvLDL. However, PAI-1 protein secretion from HUVECs was markedly enhanced after 18 hours of incubation with uvLDL (200% increase at 10 microg/mL). Stimulation of PAI-1 protein expression in HUVECs by nLDL was seen, however, after increasing the TG content of the LDL particle. LDL enriched in phospholipid had no effect on PAI-1 secretion. PAI-1 mRNA levels on northern blot increased in parallel with the activation of PAI-1 protein expression by native and modified forms of LDL. Low concentrations of TG-enriched LDL (10 microg/mL) and higher concentrations of nLDL and uvLDL (100 microg/mL) were found to increase the binding of a VLDL-inducible transcription factor to the PAI-1 promoter. These results indicate that the TG content of the LDL particle influences PAI-1 expression in endothelial cells. Low concentrations of uvLDL enhanced PAI-1 protein and mRNA expression in the HUVECs after an 18-hour incubation but did not influence the VLDL-inducible transcription factor. This suggests that low levels of oxidized LDL increase PAI-1 expression by a different mechanism than VLDL and TG-enriched LDL.

Cells, Cultured↗
PubMed1998

Treatment effects on serum lipoprotein lipids, apolipoproteins and low density lipoprotein particle size and relationships of lipoprotein variables to progression of coronary artery disease in the Bezafibrate Coronary Atherosclerosis Intervention Trial (BECAIT).

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the mechanisms by which bezafibrate retarded the progression of coronary lesions in the Bezafibrate Coronary Atherosclerosis Intervention Trial (BECAIT), we examined the relationships of on-trial lipoproteins and lipoprotein subfractions to the angiographic outcome measurements. BACKGROUND: BECAIT, the first double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized serial angiographic trial of a fibrate compound, showed that progression of focal coronary atherosclerosis in young survivors of myocardial infarction could be retarded by bezafibrate treatment. METHODS: A total of 92 dyslipoproteinemic men who had survived a first myocardial infarction before the age of 45 years were randomly assigned to treatment for 5 years with bezafibrate (200 mg three times daily) or placebo; 81 patients underwent baseline and at least one post-treatment coronary angiography. RESULTS: In addition to the decrease in very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) cholesterol (-53%) and triglyceride (-46%) and plasma apolipoprotein (apo) B (-9%) levels, bezafibrate treatment resulted in a significant increase in high density lipoprotein-3 (HDL3) cholesterol (+9%) level and a shift in the low density lipoprotein (LDL) subclass distribution toward larger particle species (peak particle diameter +032 nm). The on-trial HDL3 cholesterol and plasma apo B concentrations were found to be independent predictors of the changes in mean minimum lumen diameter (r=-0.23, p < 0.05), and percent (%) stenosis (r = 0.30, p < 0.01), respectively. Decreases in small dense LDL and/or VLDL lipid concentrations were unrelated to disease progression. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that the effect of bezafibrate on progression of focal coronary atherosclerosis could be at least partly attributed to a rise in HDL3 cholesterol and a decrease in the total number of apo B-containing lipoproteins.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Effects of recombinant apolipoprotein A-I(Milano) on aortic atherosclerosis in apolipoprotein E-deficient mice.

BACKGROUND: We previously reported marked inhibitory effects of recombinant apolipoprotein (apo) A-I(Milano)/phospholipid complex (A-I[Milano]/PC) on neointimal lesions in balloon-injured iliofemoral arteries of hypercholesterolemic rabbits. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that apo A-I(Milano)/PC would inhibit aortic atherosclerosis in apo E-deficient mice. METHODS AND RESULTS: Thirty-five apo E-deficient mice fed a high-cholesterol diet were included in the study. Control mice were killed at 20 (n=8) or 25 (n=7) weeks. Treated mice received 18 injections of either 40 mg/kg apo A-I(Milano)/PC (n=15) or PC only (n=5) intravenously every other day from 20 weeks until death at 25 weeks. Aortic atherosclerosis was identified with Sudan IV staining. Lipid and macrophage contents of the aortic sinus plaques were measured after oil-red O and Mac-1 antibody staining, respectively, and quantified with computed morphometry. In control mice, from 20 to 25 weeks, aortic atherosclerosis increased by 59% (11 +/- 1% versus 17 +/- 5% of the aortic surface, P=.002), and lipid content increased by 45% (22 +/- 8% versus 32 +/- 6% of plaque area, P=.02) without a significant change in macrophage content (10.8 +/- 2% versus 13.2 +/- 6%). Compared with 20-week-old untreated control mice, PC only-treated mice at 25 weeks demonstrated a 32% increase in aortic atherosclerosis (11 +/- 1% versus 15 +/- 4%, P=.01) and an increase in lipid content (22 +/- 8% versus 47 +/- 3%, P<.0001) without a change in macrophage content (10.8 +/- 2% versus 11 +/- 2%). In comparison with 20-week-old untreated control mice, 25-week-old apo A-I(Milano)/PC-treated mice demonstrated no increase in aortic atherosclerosis (11 +/- 1% versus 10 +/- 4%, P=NS), a 40% reduction in lipid content (22 +/- 8% versus 13 +/- 8%, P=.01), and a 46% reduction in macrophage content (10.8 +/- 2% versus 5.8 +/- 2.9%; P=.03). Serum cholesterol levels were markedly elevated in all groups and did not change significantly with apo A-I(Milano)/PC or PC only. In vitro, apo A-I(Milano)/PC stimulated cholesterol efflux from cholesterol-loaded FU5AH hepatoma cell lines in a dose-dependent manner, whereas PC only or PC-free apo A-I(Miano) had no effect. CONCLUSIONS: Recombinant A-I(Milano)/PC prevented progression of aortic atherosclerosis and reduced lipid and macrophage content of plaques in apo E-deficient mice despite severe hypercholesterolemia. Thus, A-I(Milano)/PC may have a role in inhibiting progression and promoting stabilization of atherosclerosis.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Alimentary lipemia enhances the membrane expression of platelet P-selectin without affecting other markers of platelet activation.

The present study was conducted to determine whether alimentary lipemia alters platelet activity in vivo. Normolipidemic volunteers were given a fatty meal and platelet function was assessed before, and 3 and 6 h after the meal. Platelet aggregability and secretion was determined using whole blood flow cytometry (expression of platelet P-selectin and fibrinogen binding), filtragometry ex vivo (reflecting platelet aggregability in vivo) and by measurements of platelet specific products in plasma (beta-thromboglobulin and platelet factor 4). Plasma triglycerides increased from 0.8 (0.6:1.1; median, 25th and 75th percentiles) to 1.7 (1.0:2.3) mmol/l at 3 h and returned to baseline after 6 h (P < 0.001, one-way ANOVA). Apo B-100 and apo B-48 were both markedly increased 3 h postprandially in the Sf 60-400 fraction (large VLDLs, P < 0.001 for both), whereas the Sf 20-60 (small VLDLs) and Sf 12-20 fractions (IDL) did not change. The platelet function assessments revealed that the percentage of platelets expressing P-selectin increased by 40% (5%; 64%) after 3 h and by 51% (- 7%; 85%) 6 h postprandially in unstimulated samples (P < 0.05 for both). In samples stimulated by ADP in vitro P-selectin expression increased by 45% (6%; 58%) after 3 h and by 30% (12%; 58%) (P<0.01 for both) after 6 h at 0.1 microM. Platelet P-selectin expression was less influenced at higher ADP concentrations. The plasma levels of beta-thromboglobulin (approximately 20 ng/ml) and platelet factor 4 (approximately 0.3 ng/ml) were not affected by the fat load. Flow cytometric analyses of fibrinogen binding and filtragometry measurements also failed to reveal any postprandial alterations. The present finding of enhanced platelet P-selectin expression suggests that platelets are mildly sensitized postprandially. Whether this is of importance for thrombus formation and atherosclerosis needs to be studied further.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Effects of a cardioselective beta-blocker on postprandial triglyceride-rich lipoproteins, low density lipoprotein particle size and glucose-insulin homeostasis in middle-aged men with modestly increased cardiovascular risk.

Beta-adrenergic receptor-blocking agents are commonly used for treatment of hypertension, angina pectoris and arrhythmias and as secondary prevention after myocardial infarction. The modest protection against myocardial infarction conferred by these compounds in primary-preventive studies has suggested that beneficial effects of beta-blockade are counteracted by known adverse influences on lipid and glucose metabolism. As most beta-blockers increase plasma triglycerides and decrease the high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol concentration, a randomized, double-blind, cross-over study was conducted to evaluate whether a 12-week treatment with metoprolol (100 mg o.d.) or placebo affected the metabolism of postprandial triglyceride-rich lipoproteins in 15 middle-aged men with a modestly increased cardiovascular risk. Metoprolol treatment significantly increased the postprandial responses of very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) and VLDL remnants to a mixed meal-type of oral fat tolerance test. The effect was particularly prominent for larger (Svedberg flotation rate (Sf) > 400 and Sf 60-400) particle species (P < 0.001 in repeated measures ANOVA), whereas the smaller (Sf 20-60) particles were less affected (P < 0.05). The changes in the postprandial responses of the different VLDL species were mainly related to an effect on the fasting plasma concentrations, with limited or no influences on VLDL catabolism during the postprandial state. In contrast, metoprolol treatment did not significantly influence the postprandial responses of chylomicrons and chylomicron remnants. Notably, the enhanced fasting and postprandial triglyceridaemia during metoprolol treatment was neither accompanied by a rise in fasting or postprandial free fatty acid concentrations, nor by alterations of the glucose and insulin responses to a standard oral glucose challenge. The ensuing shift in the LDL particle size distribution towards smaller particles was limited (fraction small LDL: metoprolol 22.8 +/- 15.7% versus placebo 19.3 +/- 15.0%, P < 0.05). In conclusion, metoprolol treatment primarily enhances fasting and postprandial triglyceridaemia in middle-aged men by increasing the basal hepatic production of VLDL.

Adrenergic beta-Antagonists↗
PubMed1998

Magnitude of alimentary lipemia is related to intima-media thickness of the common carotid artery in middle-aged men.

Fat intake leads to generation of potentially atherogenic triglyceride-rich lipoproteins (TRL). To investigate the relationship between early atherosclerotic changes and accumulation of hepatic and intestinal TRL after oral fat intake, an estimate of the intima-media thickness (IMT) was made using ultrasound of the common carotid artery, and postprandial TRL was quantified during a standardized oral fat tolerance test in 30 healthy normo- and hypertriglyceridemic middle-aged men. At base line the expected positive association between the LDL cholesterol level and the IMT of the common carotid artery was observed (r = 0.53, P<0.01). In addition, postprandial plasma triglycerides, in particular those measured late (6 h) after intake of the test meal, correlated positively with the IMT (r = 0.44, P<0.05). Of note, this latter correlation was independent of both the LDL cholesterol and the fasting plasma triglyceride concentrations. In a multivariate analysis, 39% of the total variability for the common carotid IMT were explained by age, LDL cholesterol and the postprandial triglyceride level. In univariate analysis, few statistically significant relations were found between common carotid IMT and postprandial levels of chylomicron remnants, VLDL and VLDL remnants of different particle size, the latter determined by specific measurements of ApoB-48 and ApoB-100 in subfractions of TRL. Therefore, in healthy middle-aged men, elevated postprandial triglyceride levels might identify a metabolic state related to early atherosclerosis.

Apolipoprotein B-100↗
PubMed1998

Perioperative insulin and glucose infusion maintains normal insulin sensitivity after surgery.

Elective surgery was performed after overnight fasting, a routine that may affect the metabolic response to surgery. We investigated the effects of insulin and glucose infusions before and during surgery on postoperative substrate utilization and insulin sensitivity. Seven patients were given insulin and glucose infusions 3 h before and during surgery (insulin group), and a control group of six patients underwent surgery after fasting overnight. Insulin sensitivity and glucose kinetics (D-[6,6-2H2]glucose) were measured before and immediately after surgery using a hyperinsulinemic, normoglycemic clamp. Glucose infusion rates and whole body glucose disposal decreased after surgery in the control group (-40 and -29%, respectively), whereas no significant change was found in the insulin group (+16 and +25%). Endogenous glucose production remained unchanged in both groups. Postoperative changes in cortisol, glucagon, fat oxidation, and free fatty acids were attenuated in the insulin group (vs. control). We conclude that perioperative insulin and glucose infusions minimize the endocrine stress response and normalize postoperative insulin sensitivity and substrate utilization.

Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip↗
PubMed1998

Very-low-density lipoprotein response element in the promoter region of the human plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 gene implicated in the impaired fibrinolysis of hypertriglyceridemia.

Hypertriglyceridemia and impaired fibrinolytic function are linked to coronary heart disease and other atherothrombotic disorders. Triglyceride-rich lipoproteins may attenuate fibrinolysis by increasing the plasma levels of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1). Furthermore, a common 4/5 guanosine (4G/5G) polymorphism in the promoter region of the PAI-1 gene has been indicated to influence plasma PAI-1 activity and to be involved in an allele-specific response to triglycerides. Herein we show by transfection assays that VLDLs induce transcription of the human PAI-1 promoter in endothelial cells. A VLDL response element (VLDLRE) is located to residues -672 to -657 in the promoter region by electromobility shift assay, methylation interference, and DNase I footprinting, and its activity is shown to be influenced by the common 4G/5G polymorphism located adjacent to and upstream of the binding site of a VLDL-inducible transcription factor. These findings may provide a molecular explanation to the link between VLDL and PAI-1 activity elevation in plasma and to the interaction between the 4G/5G polymorphism and plasma triglycerides.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1998

A common functional polymorphism in the promoter region of the microsomal triglyceride transfer protein gene influences plasma LDL levels.

Microsomal triglyceride transfer protein (MTP) is required for the assembly and cellular secretion of apolipoprotein B (apoB) -containing lipoproteins from the liver and intestine. The secretion pattern of apoB-containing lipoproteins is likely to influence the VLDL and LDL levels in plasma. By initial opportunistic screening for polymorphic sites in the regulatory region of the MTP gene by gene sequencing in 20 healthy male subjects, a common functional G/T polymorphism was detected 493 bp upstream from the transcriptional start point. There was differential binding of unique nuclear proteins at this site, as shown by electrophoretic mobility shift assay. The G variant seemed to bind two or three nuclear proteins that do not bind to the T variant. Expression studies with minimal promoter constructs linked to the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase reporter and transfected into HepG2 cells revealed marked enhancement of transcriptional activity with the T variant. The prevalence of the MTP promoter genotypes was investigated in a group of 184 healthy, middle-aged white men; the frequency of homozygosity for the MTP -493 T variant was .06 and the allele frequency of MTP -493T was .25 in the population. These homozygous subjects had a 22% lower LDL cholesterol concentration than did heterozygotes or subjects homozygous for the MTP -493 G variant (2.9+/-0.6 versus 3.7+/-0.8 mmol/L, P<.05). Analysis of apoB and triglyceride contents in VLDL subfractions revealed a markedly changed balance within the VLDL population. Subjects homozygous for the MTP -493 T variant had fewer but more lipid-rich VLDL particles, thereby arguing for an effect of MTP expression on the hepatic secretion of triglyceride-rich, apoB-containing lipoproteins. This common genetic variation of the MTP promoter is likely to have important implications for cardiovascular disease.

Adult↗