Related Experiment Videos
Diurnal variation in lipoprotein lipase activity
M P Arasaradnam1, L Morgan, J Wright
1School of Biological Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK.
Annals of Clinical Biochemistry
|April 4, 2002
Summary
Lipoprotein lipase activity, crucial for fat removal, shows diurnal variation, being higher in the morning. This finding may explain why the body is less efficient at processing fats at night.
Area of Science:
- Metabolism
- Endocrinology
- Lipidology
Background:
- Lipoprotein lipase (LPL) activity is vital for clearing dietary triglycerides after meals.
- Nocturnal lipid intolerance, a reduced ability to process fats at night, has been previously observed.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate diurnal variations in lipoprotein lipase activity.
- To determine if LPL activity differences contribute to nocturnal lipid intolerance.
Main Methods:
- Studied 12 healthy volunteers, measuring LPL activity at morning and evening times.
- Subjects consumed high-fat meals, followed by heparin injection to assess post-prandial enzyme activity.
- Measured concentrations of triglycerides and non-esterified fatty acids.
Main Results:
- Post-prandial LPL activity was significantly higher in the morning compared to the evening.
- Post-prandial hepatic lipase activity also showed higher levels in the morning.
- No other significant diurnal differences were observed in the measured parameters.
Conclusions:
- A diurnal variation in post-prandial lipoprotein lipase activity was identified.
- This variation suggests reduced insulin sensitivity affects LPL function at night.
- Provides a potential explanation for the phenomenon of nocturnal lipid intolerance.