title: Reduction of plasma triglycerides in apolipoprotein C-II transgenic mice overexpressing lipoprotein lipase in muscle.
abstract: LPL and its specific physiological activator, apolipoprotein C-II (apoC-II), regulate the hydrolysis of triglycerides (TGs) from circulating TG-rich lipoproteins. Previously, we developed a skeletal muscle-specific LPL transgenic mouse that had lower plasma TG levels. ApoC-II transgenic mice develop hypertriglyceridemia attributed to delayed clearance. To investigate whether overexpression of LPL could correct this apoC-II-induced hypertriglyceridemia, mice with overexpression of human apoC-II (CII) were cross-bred with mice with two levels of muscle-specific human LPL overexpression (LPL-L or LPL-H). Plasma TG levels were 319 +/- 39 mg/dl in CII mice and 39 +/- 5 mg/dl in wild-type mice. Compared with CII mice, apoC-II transgenic mice with the higher level of LPL overexpression (CIILPL-H) had a 50% reduction in plasma TG levels (P = 0.013). Heart LPL activity was reduced by approximately 30% in mice with the human apoC-II transgene, which accompanied a more modest 10% decrease in total LPL protein. Overexpression of human LPL in skeletal muscle resulted in dose-dependent reduction of plasma TGs in apoC-II transgenic mice. Along with plasma apoC-II concentrations, heart and skeletal muscle LPL activities were predictors of plasma TGs. These data suggest that mice with the human apoC-II transgene may have alterations in the expression/activity of endogenous LPL in the heart. Furthermore, the decrease of LPL activity in the heart, along with the inhibitory effects of excess apoC-II, may contribute to the hypertriglyceridemia observed in apoC-II transgenic mice.
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Diabetes, University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center, Aurora, CO, USA.
authors.forename: Leslie K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Pulawa
authors.forename: Dalan R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.forename: Alison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Coates
authors.forename: Robert H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Eckel
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D015228:Hypertriglyceridemia / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D008071:Lipoprotein Lipase / Q000235:genetics*; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000201:enzymology*; D009206:Myocardium / Q000201:enzymology; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D014280:Triglycerides; D008071:Lipoprotein Lipase