Lecithin: Cholesterol acyl transfer rate and high density lipoproteins in plasma during dietary and clofibrate treatment of hypertriglyceridemic subjects

Abstract

Effects of lipid-lowering treatment on the lecithin: cholesterol acyl transfer (LCAT) rate and the concentrations of lipids and high density lipoproteins (HDL) lipids in plasma were determined in hypertriglyceridemic subjects. Thirty-nine subjects were studied before and after two months on a weight reducing diet. Twenty subjects were studied also one month after the addition of clofibrate to the dietary regimen. After two months on the diet the mean body weight had decreased by 4.5%. There were reductions in the mean plasma concentrations of triglycerides (TG) by 18% and in total cholesterol (TC), unesterified cholesterol (UC) and phospholipids (PL) by 12%. The mean HDL-TC concentrations increased by 10%, while the mean HDL-PL concentration was unchanged. During two months of diet the mean molar LCAT rate decreased by 17% and the mean fractional LCAT rate was reduced by 6%. One month after the addition of clofibrate there were reductions in the mean plasma concentrations of TG by 43% and of TC, UC and PL by 15%. The mean HDL-TC concentration increased by 22%, while the mean HDL-PL concentration was enhanced by 9%. The mean molar LCAT rate decreased by 10%, based on reductions in the type IV subjects with high molar LCAT rates before the clofibrate treatment. The mean fractional LCAT rate was not changed in the type IV subjects but increased in the type IIb and type III subjects during clofibrate therapy. The changes in the molar LCAT rate correlated positively with the changes in the body mass after two months on the diet and with the changes in the concentrations of TG, UC and PL in plasma obtained with both kinds of treatment. The changes in the fractional LCAT rate were negatively correlated with the changes of low density lipoprotein-TC concentrations during both kinds of treatment.