Effect of different forms of dietary hydrogenated fats on LDL particle size.
BACKGROUND
Dietary trans fatty acids (FAs), which are formed during the process of hydrogenating vegetable oil, are known to increase plasma LDL-cholesterol concentrations. However, their effect on LDL particle size has yet to be investigated.


OBJECTIVE
We investigated the effect of trans FA consumption on the electrophoretic characteristics of LDL particles.


METHODS
Eighteen women and 18 men each consumed 5 experimental diets in random order for 35-d periods. Fat represented 30% of total energy intake in each diet, with two-thirds of the fat in the form of semiliquid margarine (0.6 g trans FAs/100 g fat), soft margarine (9.4 g trans FAs/100 g fat), shortening (13.6 g trans FAs/100 g fat), stick margarine (26.1 g trans FAs/100 g fat), or butter, which was low in trans FAs (2.6 g trans FAs/100 g fat) but rich in saturated fat. LDL particle size and distribution were characterized by nondenaturing, 2-16% polyacrylamide gradient gel electrophoresis.


RESULTS
Relative to the LDL particle size observed after consumption of the butter-enriched diet, LDL particle size decreased significantly and in a dose-dependent fashion with increasing amounts of dietary trans FAs (P < 0.001). Cholesterol concentrations in large (> 260 A) and medium-sized (255-260 A) LDL particles also increased proportionately to the amount of trans FAs in the diet.


CONCLUSIONS
Consumption of dietary trans FAs is associated with a deleterious increase in small, dense LDL, which further reinforces the importance of promoting diets low in trans FAs to favorably affect the lipoprotein profile.
Mauger
Jean-François
JF
Institute on Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods, Laval University, Quebec, Canada.
Lichtenstein
Alice H
AH
Ausman
Lynne M
LM
Jalbert
Susan M
SM
Jauhiainen
Matti
M
Ehnholm
Christian
C
Lamarche
Benoît
B
D000368:Aged; D015243:Cholesterol, VLDL / Q000097:blood*; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006865:Hydrogenation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010316:Particle Size
D015243:Cholesterol, VLDL; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated