Lipoprotein metabolism in nonresponders to increased dietary cholesterol.

We have studied the effect of increased dietary cholesterol on production and degradation of plasma very low density lipoproteins and low density lipoproteins. We studied five unselected normal volunteers who were on weight-maintaining diets consisting of 45% carbohydrate, 40% fat, and 15% protein with a ratio of polyunsaturated to saturated fat of 0.4. Cholesterol content was 150 mg/1000 kcal in Period A and 500 mg/1000 kcal in Period B. Subjects were fed each diet for 4 to 5 weeks. The turnover of apoproteins B in very low density and low density lipoproteins and of triglyceride in very low density lipoproteins were measured during the last 2 weeks of each study period using 131I-labeled very low density lipoproteins and 125I-labeled low density lipoproteins and 2-3H-glycerol, respectively. There was no significant change in plasma total cholesterol or triglycerides or in low density lipoprotein cholesterol levels during the high cholesterol versus the low cholesterol diet. Similarly, high cholesterol intake had no effect on the rate of production or clearance of apo B in very low density and low density lipoproteins or of triglyceride in very low density lipoproteins. These data indicate that the flux of very low density lipoproteins does not change in nonresponders to high cholesterol diets.