Comparison of apo A-I-containing subpopulations of dog plasma and prenodal peripheral lymph: evidence for alteration in subpopulations in the interstitial space.

To study in vivo reverse cholesterol transport, dog plasma and lymph apo A-I-containing subpopulations were compared by two-dimensional electrophoresis. Charge and size of subpopulations were similar in plasma and lymph, but the distribution of subpopulations varied considerably. An increase in pre-beta and pre-alpha particles in lymph suggests these changes are a reflection of in vivo reverse cholesterol transport.