A comparison of two methods to investigate the metabolism of human apolipoproteins A-I and and A-II.

Two methods are compared for measuring the kinetic parameters of apolipoprotein A-I and A-II metabolism in human plasma. In the first, high density lipoprotein apoproteins were radioiodinated in situ in the lipoprotein particle (endogenous apoprotein labeling) while in the second, individually labeled apolipoprotein A-I or A-II was incorporated into the particle by in vitro incubation (exogenous apoprotein labeling). The catabolic clearance rate of exogenously labeled apolipoprotein A-I was consistently faster than that of endogenous apolipoprotein A-I. Conversely, endogenously and exogenously labeled apolipoprotein A-II were catabolized at identical rates. The fractional plasma clearance rates of endogenous apolipoproteins A-I and A-II were the same.