In addition to the high-density lipoprotein fraction, apolipoprotein C-III is detected in chylomicrons and the very low-density lipoprotein fraction from serum of normolipidemic cows.

Apolipoprotein (apo) C-III is a low-molecular-mass protein that is involved in the regulation of the triglyceride metabolism. Except for the hyperlipidemic calf, cattle apoC-III is mainly detected in the high-density lipoprotein (HDL) fraction, and the distribution in chylomicrons (CM) and the very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) fraction has not yet been clarified. The purpose of the present study was to detect apoC-III in concentrated CM and VLDL fractions to examine whether apoC-III is distributed in the two fractions even in normolipidemic cattle. ApoC-III could be detected by immunoblot analysis in both concentrated cow CM and VLDL fractions, but not in the corresponding calf fractions. These results suggest that apoC-III is distributed in the CM and VLDL fractions, at least in cows, although the concentrations in these fractions are considerably lower than in the HDL fraction.