Nascent and remnant lipoprotein turnover in rats: experimental design and simulation

We have attempted to predict the kinetic behavior of the complex very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL; d less than 1.006) fraction in blood plasma of rats in the steady state. Specifically we proposed a simple model with two different kinds of nascent VLDL particles derived from the liver, one containing apoprotein B (PI/II) [apoB(PI/II)], the high-molecular-weight apoB, and the other, apoprotein B (PIII) [apoB(PIII)], the low-molecular-weight apoB. Two other particles, the corresponding remnants derived from the nascent VLDL particles were also included. Then a number of feasible in vivo tracer experiments were considered in which VLDL labeled in the apoB and/or triglyceride (TG) moieties would be injected into recipient rats and the kinetic behavior of the various compartments predicted by simulation analysis. In addition the kinetic behavior of products such as free fatty acids formed during hydrolysis of labeled TG fatty acids and liver TG derived from labeled circulating remnants was considered. Both the relative sizes of nascent and remnant particles and the extent of average hydrolysis of nascent VLDL-TG (before formation of a remnant particle) were considered in our analysis. On the basis of these predictions we have suggested a number of experimental approaches that should be helpful in defining the relative pool sizes and the turnover rates of each kind of particle in vivo.