Dietary effects on very low-density lipoproteins in type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus

To evaluate possible influences of dietary intervention on the composition of very low-density lipoproteins (VLDL), ten subjects with Type 2 (non-insulin dependent) diabetes mellitus received a hypocaloric regimen. Fifteen healthy subjects served as controls. Ultracentrifuged VLDL were analysed as cholesterol, triglycerides, apolipoprotein B (apo B), and the soluble apolipoproteins C and E (polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in urea and densitometry) before the study, after 2 weeks and then after 3 months. Compared with the control subjects, the content of cholesterol and apo E in the VLDL was elevated in the diabetic subjects, while the area ratio of apo C-II to apo C-III1 was lowered. After diet the reduction in VLDL was accompanied by compositional changes: a decrease of the cholesterol/triglyceride ratio and of the apo E/apo C area ratio. The apo C-II/apo C-III1 area ratio remained unaffected. We conclude that one beneficial effect of therapeutic intervention in diabetes may lie in lowering the level of possibly atherogenic VLDL-components.