Influence of polyunsaturated fats and fat restriction on serum lipoproteins in humans

This study was designed to determine the effects of polyunsaturated fats and of reducing intake of total fat on serum lipids, lipoproteins, and apolipoproteins. Twenty-two normolipidemic women living in a nunnery were given a reference diet (fat/carbohydrate 42/46% of energy, P/S ratio 0.16), a polyunsaturated diet (42/46%, P/S 1,0), and a low-fat, polyunsaturated diet (32/56%, P/S 1.0) for 6 weeks each. Serum and lipoprotein lipids were determined by standard procedures, apolipoproteins either by laser immunonephelometry or by rocket immunoelectrophoresis. Consumption of the polyunsaturated diet decreased cholesterol and apolipoprotein B levels in VLDL (-33.1% and -23.8%) and in LDL (-13.5% and -8.8%) without affecting HDL. Consumption of the low-fat, polyunsaturated diet resulted in a reincrease of VLDL triglycerides, but not of VLDL cholesterol. Concentration of VLDL apolipoprotein B further fell (-41.6%) and that of apolipoprotein E decreased (-25.9%), resulting in an increased VLDL lipid/apolipoprotein mass ratio. This study indicates that responses to therapeutic polyunsaturated diet are lowered levels of VLDL and LDL, but unchanged levels of HDL. Additional restriction of dietary fat intake alters the VLDL composition with a decrement in apolipoprotein E enriched VLDL particles.