ABSTRACT
To determine whether the metabolism of chylomicrons and their remmants is related to atherogenesis, a triglyceride-rich emulsion known to mimic chylomicron behavior in plasma and labeled with 1-14C-cholesteryl oleate was injected intravenously into 11 normolipidemic patients (triglycerides: 133 + or - 60 mg/dl; total cholesterol: 207 + or - 20 mg/dl; LDL: 143 + or - 20 mg/dl; VLDL: 27 + or - 13 mg/dl; and HDL cholesterol: 41 + or - 11 mg/dl; apo AI: 1.27 + or - 0.54 g/l and apo B: 1.42 + or - 0.31 gl) with atherosclerotic coronary artery disease and into 11 control subjects (triglycerides: 109 + or - 32 mg/dl; total cholesterol: 190 + or - 38 mg/dl; LDL: 125 + or - 29 mg/dl; VLDL: 22 + or - 6 mg/dl; and HDL cholesterol: 44 + or - 9 mg/dl; apo AI: 1.09 + or - 0.28 g/land apo B: 1.09 + or - 028 g/l) without the disease. The emulsion (69 percent triolein, 23 percent lecithin, 6 percent cholesteryl oleate and 2 percent cholesterol) was injected intravenously at approximately 9:00 a.m., after a 12-h fast. The clearance of the emulsion label from plasma, expressed as fractional clearance rate (FCR), was lower in coronary artery disease compared to controls (0.019 + or - 0.005/min vs 0.036 + or - 0.018/min, respectively, P<0.05). These results indicate that the rate of removal of chylomicron remmants is slower in patients with coronary artery disease