Lipid apheresis in an animal model causes in vivo changes in lipoprotein electrophoretic patterns

Lipid apheresis, a new extracorporeal procedure based on plasma delipidation and showing promise as a possible treatment for atherosclerosis, was recently reported for the first time from this laboratory [Cham et al., J Clin Apheresis 10:61-69, 1995]. In the present study lipid apheresis was applied to hypercholesterolemic and normocholesterolemic roosters to examine its effect on plasma lipoprotein particles. This procedure resulted in conspicuous changes in electrophoretic patterns of plasma lipoproteins. The electrophoretic mobilities of all the lipoprotein fractions had changed considerably. Lipid stainable material was present in at least three bands in the alpha-globulin area. In particular, changes in the electrophoretic region of high-density lipoproteins were observed. Lipid apheresis markedly induced the anti-atherogenic pre- beta-high-density lipoproteins. The observed changes induced by lipid apheresis were more pronounced in the hyperlipidemic animals compared with the normocholesterolemic controls. A novel pre-alpha-lipoprotein band was observed soon after lipid apheresis. This lipoprotein band had a density larger than 1.21. At approximately 150 minutes after lipid apheresis, the electrophoretic pattern had almost returned to its original base pattern. Lipid apheresis results in plasma lipoprotein changes which may induce reverse cholesterol transport and shows promise as a possible treatment of atherosclerosis.