Lipoprotein lipase and triglyceride in skeletal and cardiac muscles of rats fed lard or glucose

Abstract

Lipoprotein lipase (LPL) activities and triglyceride (TG) concentrations were measured in skeletal and cardiac muscles of male and female Sprague-Dawley rats. Rats were fed isocalorically (67% of Kcals) glucose or lard diets for 13–14 days. LPL activities in the psoas (P), gastrocnemius (G), anterior tibialis (AT), extensor digitorum longus (EDL) and biceps brachii (BB) were 5, 4, 6, 6, and 7-fold higher, respectively, in rats fed lard than in those fed the glucose diet. There was no difference between male and female rats in the response of muscle LPL activity to diet. Compared to the glucose diet, triglyceride concentrations in P, AT, BB, and EDL were about 2-fold greater in both male and female rats fed lard. LPL activities in heart (H) and soleus (S) and triglyceride concentratiosn in H, S, and G were similar in both diet groups. These results suggest that skeletal muscles of rats represent important sites for triglyceride uptake and storage and that male and female rats do not differ in the response of their muscle LPL activity to dietary triglyceride.