A kinetic model of chylomicron core lipid metabolism in rats: the effect of a single meal.

A detailed quantitative description of the metabolism of the core lipids of chylomicrons was developed with data obtained from rats injected intravenously with radioactive chylomicrons. Groups of recipient rats were starved or else fed a single meal that was either fat-free or contained 5% fat. The kinetic model included chains of delipidation compartments and a remnant particle. Compartments for recirculation of portions of triglyceride, cholesteryl ester, and unesterified fatty acid radioactivities were all included and necessary to obtain good fits to the data. Making the simplifying assumption that remnants could be represented as particles retaining cholesteryl esters but depleted in triglycerides, a 'delipidation index' was calculated as the ratio of the cholesteryl ester residence time divided by the triglyceride residence time. Significant differences were found in the delipidation index between the starved group and both the normal-fed and fat-free-fed groups. Compared with rats fed a meal of the usual diet which contained 5% fat, starved rats showed more extensive delipidation and a trend toward a longer residence time of remnant particles. A longer residence time of triglycerides in rats fed a fat-free meal was explained by less delipidation, but remnant removal appeared to be accelerated. The kinetic model makes possible an interpretation of the patterns of metabolism in terms of the known underlying physiological mechanisms.