Change in composition of high density lipoprotein during gemfibrozil therapy

We investigated the high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) response in 20 middle-aged males during a 12-week course of gemfibrozil. Three aspects of the increase in HDL-C (25%) were studied and our observations are as follows: (1) subfraction analysis showed that HDL3-C rose earlier and to a larger extent (28%) than HDL2-C (15%), (2) analysis of variance group--time interaction effect and correlation studies of HDL-C and total triglycerides suggest the increase in HDL-C was due to a direct effect of gemfibrozil on HDL metabolism, and (3) HDL-C was the only one of 4 HDL components to increase. Apoprotein A-I (apo A-I) and HDL-phospholipid (HDL-PL) did not change, and HDL-triglyceride (HDL-TG) decreased. This pattern is consistent with a change in composition of HDL, i.e. cholesterol enrichment and triglyceride depletion.