Hepatic steatosis and serum very low density lipoproteins during two types of protein malnutrition followed by balanced refeeding.

The relation of serum very low density lipoproteins (VLDL) to hepatic steatosis was studied during protein malnutrition followed by refeeding of a balanced diet in growing rats. A control group was fed a balanced diet containing 15% casein for 42 days. Two depleted groups were fed low protein diets containing 2% casein (group C) or 5% gluten (group GI) (protein malnutrition phase) for 28 days and then were fed the balanced diet for 14 days (refeeding phase). The concentrations of phospholipids and proteins in both liver and serum VLDL were decreased during protein malnutrition, whereas triacylglycerols, unesterified cholesterol, and cholesteryl esters were higher in the liver and lower in the serum VLDL in the C and GI groups compared with the control group. There was a significant inverse relation between serum VLDL apolipoproteins and liver triacylglycerols on the one hand and between serum VLDL triacylglycerols and liver triacylglycerols on the other hand, in both depleted groups, although this relation was less important in the GI group. The major fatty acid levels of liver triacylglycerols were negatively correlated with those of serum VLDL during protein malnutrition. Our results show that in spite of a similar fatty acid intake, protein malnutrition involved an important decrease in essential fatty acids in VLDL triacylglycerols and phospholipids. Moreover, triacylglycerol accumulation was accompanied by increases in unesterfied cholesterol and cholesteryl esters in the liver of rats fed low protein diets, especially with 5% gluten. Hence, the hepatic steatosis was not entirely attributable to impaired transport of triacylglycerols by VLDL.