Metabolism in vivo of [ 14C]oleic acid and [ 3H]retinol of lipid-poor and lipid-rich chyle

Abstract

[3H]Retinol and [14C]oleic acid labelled fresh chyle was obtained from thoracic duct cannulated rats. The labelled compounds were fed dispersed in either a small amount of egg phosphatidylcholine to produce a lipid-poor chyle, or in a soy bean lipid emulsion to produce a lipid-rich chyle. Small amounts (100 microliters, 24 and 172 micrograms triacylglycerol, respectively) of fresh labelled chyle preparations were injected i.v. into fed recipient animals, which were killed after 10, 20 or 30 min. At 20 min, more [3H]retinyl ester remained in plasma in the rats injected with lipid-rich than in those injected with lipid-poor chyle. The difference was, however, smaller than the difference in the hepatic uptake of 3H. Both the uptake of 3H by the liver and the hydrolysis of [3H]retinyl ester after the uptake, was faster in the group that had been injected with the lipid-poor chyle. The 3H/14C ratios of the serum and liver lipids in relation to that of the injected material did not differ between the two groups, indicating that the proportion of the [14C]triacylglycerol that underwent hydrolysis before clearance of remnants by the liver did not differ. Particularly in the heart, but also in adipose tissue, lungs and kidneys the 3H radioactivity after injecting lipid-rich chyle was highest at 10 min and then decreased with time, being similar in the two groups at 30 min. The results suggest that the formation of remnants from lipoproteins formed after a fat meal requires a longer time for the interaction with endothelial-bound lipoprotein lipase. The uptake by the spleen was also 6-9-fold higher than in the group receiving lipid-poor chyle, indicating that the reticuloendothelial system participates in the metabolism of chyle lipoproteins after a fat meal.