Increased apoC-III production is a characteristic feature of patients with hypertriglyceridemia.

Apolipoprotein (apo) C-III plays an important role in regulating plasma triglyceride (TG) metabolism. In order to further investigate the plasma metabolism of apoC-III in hypertriglyceridemic subjects, we have studied the plasma kinetics of VLDL apoC-III, HDL apoC-III and total plasma apoC-III with a primed constant intravenous infusion of deuterated leucine in a group of male patients with mixed hyperlipidemia (type IIb hyperlipoproteinemia, HLP, n=6) and in a group with type III HLP (n=6). Compared to normolipidemic control subjects (n=5), patients with type IIb and type III HLP had significantly higher levels of plasma TG (0.89 +/- 0.15 mmol/l vs 2.56 +/- 0.40 mmol/l vs 8.76 +/- 1.39 mmol/l, respectively, P <0.01), plasma apoC-III (9.5 +/- 0.8 mg/dl vs 20.8 +/- 2.5 mg/dl vs 41.7 +/- 5.6 mg/dl, P <0.01) and VLDL apoC-III (3.6 +/- 0.8 mg/dl vs 14.6 +/- 2.2 mg/dl vs 35.4 +/- 5.1 mg/dl, P <0.01). VLDL apoC-III production rates were significantly elevated in type IIb and type III patients (1.35 +/- 0.23 mg kg(-1) day(-1) vs 3.53 +/- 0.43 mg kg(-1) day(-1) vs 5.60 +/- 0.78 mg kg(-1) day(-1), P <0.01), as were total plasma apoC-III production rates (1.80 +/- 0.22 mg kg(-1) day(-1) vs 4.16 +/- 0.44 mg kg(-1) day(-1) vs 7.26 +/- 0.74 mg kg(-1) day(-1), P <0.01). VLDL apoC-III but not total plasma apoC-III fractional catabolic rates were reduced in type IIb and type III patients. Together with our previous results showing an increase of apoC-III production in patients with type IV HLP, and in overweight subjects with reduced insulin sensitivity, our data suggest that increased apoC-III production is a characteristic feature of patients with hypertriglyceridemia.