Metabolism of a Lipid Nanoemulsion Resembling Low-Density Lipoprotein in Patients with Grade III Obesity

INTRODUCTION: Obesity increases triglyceride levels and decreases high-density lipoprotein concentrations in plasma. Artificial emulsions resembling lipidic plasma lipoprotein structures have been used to evaluate low-density lipoprotein metabolism. In grade III obesity, low density lipoprotein metabolism is poorly understood. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the kinetics with which a cholesterol-rich emulsion (called a low-density emulsion) binds to low-density lipoprotein receptors in a group of patients with grade III obesity by the fractional clearance rate. METHODS: A low-density emulsion was labeled with [14C]-cholesterol ester and [³H]-triglycerides and injected intravenously into ten normolipidemic non-diabetic patients with grade III obesity [body mass index higher than 40 kg/m²] and into ten non-obese healthy controls. Blood samples were collected over 24 hours to determine the plasma decay curve and to calculate the fractional clearance rate. RESULTS: There was no difference regarding plasma levels of total cholesterol or low-density lipoprotein cholesterol between the two groups. The fractional clearance rate of triglycerides was 0.086 ± 0.044 in the obese group and 0.122 ± 0.026 in the controls (p = 0.040), and the fractional clearance rate of cholesterol ester (h-1) was 0.052 ± 0.021 in the obese subjects and 0.058 ± 0.015 (p = 0.971) in the controls. CONCLUSION: Grade III obese subjects exhibited normal low-density lipoprotein removal from plasma as tested by the nanoemulsion method, but triglyceride removal was slower

Effects of exercise training on plasma removal of lipidic nanoparticle which binds to LDL receptors and on lipoprotein oxidation, in hypercholesterolemic individuals

A hipercolesterolemia é o maior fator de risco para doença arterial coronária e é responsável por um número significante de doenças e mortes. Há evidências que o exercício físico diminui o risco cardiovascular exercendo efeitos benéficos sobre os fatores de risco, incluindo o metabolismo lipídico. Mudanças que ocorrem no metabolismo da LDL podem não ser detectadas através das dosagens rotineiras de lípides plasmáticos. Portanto, avaliamos os efeitos do exercício físico no metabolismo de uma nanoemulsão lipídica artificial com comportamento metabólico semelhante ao da LDL. Foram avaliados 12 indivíduos hipercolesterolêmicos sedentários (H) e 12 indivíduos normolipidêmicos sedentários (N) que foram submetidos a treinamento durante 4 meses. Nos grupos controle, foram estudados 8 indivíduos hipercolesterolêmicos sedentários controle (HC) e 8 indivíduos normolipidêmicos sedentários controle (NC) que não realizaram exercício físico. A emulsão marcada com éster de colesterol -14C (EC-14C) foi injetada endovenosamente. Amostras de sangue foram coletadas em tempos prédeterminados (5 min, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 24 horas) após a injeção, para determinação da radioatividade, das curvas de decaimento plasmático e cálculo da taxa fracional de remoção (TFR) dos lípides marcados, por análise compartimental. As avaliações foram feitas antes e após o protocolo de treinamento físico e nos grupos controle foram realizadas 2 avaliações, sendo a segunda 4 meses após a primeira. No grupo H, as concentrações plasmáticas de colesterol total e LDL-c diminuíram (5%, p= 0,0334 e 14%, p= 0,0058), respectivamente, enquanto que, HDL-c, TFR-EC-14C e lag time aumentaram (13%, p= 0,0142; 36%, p= 0,0187; 37%, p= 0,0039), respectivamente após o treinamento físico. No grupo N, a concentração plasmática da HDL foi maior (15%, p= 0,0243), após o treinamento. Nos grupos HC e NC os parâmetros avaliados foram semelhantes. Portanto, o exercício físico acelera a remoção plasmática da LDL em indivíduos hipercolesterolêmicos, indicado pela maior TFR-EC-14C. Este efeito pode ser um dos mecanismos pelos quais o exercício previne a doença arterial coronária.Hypercholesterolemia has become one of the major risk factors for arterial coronary disease. As such, it is also responsible for a significant number of diseases and deaths. Evidence suggests that physical exercise can, in fact, decrease the risk of cardiovascular diseases by exerting beneficial effects upon the risk factors, including lipid metabolism. The changes that do occur in LDL metabolism are generally not detected by routine clinical laboratory plasma lipid exams. In the present study, the effects of physical exercise on the metabolism of an artificial lipidic nanoemoulsion with similar LDL metabolic behavior were analyzed. 12 hypercholesterolemic sedentary individuals (H) and 12 normolipidemic sedentary individuals (N) were studied. These 24 participants were submitted to a routine training program during a 4-month period. The control group was divided into two groups: one of 8 hypercholesterolemic sedentary individuals (CH) and the other with 8 normolipidemic sedentary individuals (CN) which did not partake in any exercise program. An emulsion labeled with 14Ccholesteryl ester (14C-CE) was endovenously injected into all 4 groups. Blood samples were collected at pre-determined periods (5 min, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 24 hours) after the injection of the emulsion, in order to determine the radioactivity of the plasma decay curves and calculate the fractional clearance rate (FCR) of the labeled lipids for compartimental analysis. Evaluations were made before and after the exercise training protocol. The control groups under went 2 evaluations, the second one 4 months after the first evaluation. In the H group, total cholesterol and LDL-c plasma concentrations decreased (5%, p=0.0334 and 14%, p=0.0058), respectively. HDL-c, 14C-CE-FCR and lag time, on the other hand, increased (13%, p=0.0142; 36%, p=0.0187; 37%, p=0.0039) after exercise training. HDL plasma concentration for the N group was higher (15%, p=0.0243), after exercise training. In groups CH and CN the parameters evaluated were similar. Therefore, exercise accelerates the removal of LDL plasma in hypercholesterolemic individuals as indicated by a higher 14C-CE-FCR. This effect can thus be one of the mechanisms by which exercise can prevent arterial coronary disease