The relation between triglyceride synthesis in peripheral tissues and postprandial plasma triglyceride levels: preliminary evidence of a role for acylation stimulating protein.

The present study examines the hypothesis that the rate at which peripheral tissues synthesize triglycerides is a key determinant of the rate at which they are removed from plasma. The cells of greatest interest in this regard would, of course, be the adipocytes. However, serial sampling of this tissue is not possible in man. We have approached the question indirectly, by studying triglyceride synthesis in human mononuclear cells before and after an oral fat load. In addition, plasma levels of Acylation Stimulating Protein (ASP) were measured after an overnight fast and 4 h after ingestion of the oral fat load. Similar measurements were made in the same subjects after fasting overnight and with the fast extended for 4 additional hours. With the extended fast, no parameter measured changed significantly. However, after the oral fat load, the following changes were found to be significant: plasma triglycerides increased (63.6 +/- 31.1 vs 101.5 +/- 43 mg/dl, p less than 0.005) as did d less than 1.006 g/ml triglycerides (42.3 +/- 22.8 vs 78.0 +/- 39.7 mg/dl, p less than 0.005) and plasma ASP (10.4 +/- 2.2 vs 14.7 +/- 2.3 mg/dl, p less than 0.005). In addition, the rate of triglyceride synthesis in the mononuclear cells increased significantly (1.22 +/- 0.3 vs 1.52 +/- 0.3 nmol oleate/mg cell protein per h, p less than 0.005). There was also a significant inverse relation between the increase in the d less than 1.006 triglycerides between 0 and 4 h and the increase in triglyceride synthesis in the mononuclear cells (r = 0.91, p less than 0.005).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)