Is the hypertriglyceridemia associated with insulin deficiency caused by decreased lipoprotein lipase activity?

• Published in: Diabetes (New York, N.Y.) Vol. 28; no. 10; pp. 893 - 898
• Main Authors: Chen, Yii-Der Ida, Risser, Tranquilina R, Cully, Michael, Reaven, Gerald M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.10.1979
• Subjects: Adipose Tissue - enzymology; Animals; Blood Glucose - metabolism; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental - metabolism; Insulin - blood; Insulin - deficiency; Lipoprotein Lipase - metabolism; Lipoproteins, VLDL - blood; Male; Muscles - enzymology; Rats; Triglycerides - blood
• ISSN: 0012-1797; 1939-327X
• DOI: 10.2337/diab.28.10.893

In order to investigate the mechanism by which hypertriglyceridemia is associated with insulin deficiency, young rats were induced to develop absolute insulin deficiency with streptozotocin; changes in lipoprotein lipase (LPL) activity in muscle and adipose tissue were then measured. Three groups of rats (control, moderate diabetes, severe diabetes) were tested for plasma glucose, insulin and triglyceride (TG) levels; very low density lipoprotein (VLDL)-TG secretion rate; and LPL activity. The highest glucose and lowest insulin levels were found in severly diabetic rats; plasma TG levels were elevated and VLDL-TG secretion fell. Muscle LPL was similar in all groups and adipose tissue LPL was only slightly decreased, indicating that the removal of VLDL-TG from plasma triggered the rise in plasma TG levels, rather than simply a decrease in total LPL activity