Endothelial lipase and the metabolic syndrome.
OBJECTIVE
Several in-vitro and in-vivo animal studies indicate that endothelial lipase plays a key role in the intravascular remodeling of lipoproteins, particularly HDL. This review integrates this body of knowledge with more recent data in humans linking endothelial lipase to HDL metabolism and other features of the metabolic syndrome.


RESULTS
Human studies generally support the involvement of endothelial lipase in modulating plasma HDL. The association between endothelial lipase and metabolism of apolipoprotein B-containing lipoproteins in humans, however, has not been entirely consistent with previous findings in vitro and in animals. Finally, elevated plasma endothelial lipase has been associated with abdominal obesity and hypertension, and there is now compelling evidence that inflammation and in-vivo regulation of endothelial lipase may be intrinsically related.


CONCLUSIONS
Accumulating evidence indicates that endothelial lipase plays a role in the etiology of the atherogenic plasma lipoprotein profile characteristic of the metabolic syndrome. Increased endothelial lipase activity is linked to the underlying proinflammatory state in this condition. Further studies are required, however, to define the extent to which endothelial lipase contributes to the dyslipidemia of the metabolic syndrome relative to other important regulating factors, such as lipoprotein lipase, hepatic lipase, and cholesterol ester transfer protein.
Lamarche
Benoît
B
Institute on Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods, Laval University, Québec, Canada. benoit.lamarche@inaf.ulaval.ca
Paradis
Marie-Eve
ME
D000818:Animals; D053480:Cholesterol Ester Transfer Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000473:pathology; D007249:Inflammation; D008049:Lipase / Q000502:physiology*; D008071:Lipoprotein Lipase / Q000378:metabolism; D008075:Lipoproteins, HDL / Q000097:blood; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology*; D008954:Models, Biological; D009765:Obesity / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology
D053480:Cholesterol Ester Transfer Proteins; D008075:Lipoproteins, HDL; C410382:LIPG protein, human; D008049:Lipase; D008071:Lipoprotein Lipase