Uptake of phospholipid-depleted chylomicrons by the perfused rat liver.

1. Rat lymph chylomicrons were depleted of their surface phospholipids by treatment with pure phospholipase A2 from Crotalus adamanteus venom. 2. About 80% of the phospholipids could be removed from the chylomicrons without any apparent effect on their size, neutral lipid composition or qualitative profile of their tetramethylurea-soluble apoproteins. 3. Phospholipid-depleted chylomicrons were rapidly taken up whole by liver cells when perfused through isolated rat liver preparations. The rate of uptake was dependent on the extent of phospholipid depletion and reached a maximum (4-6.5-fold greater than control chylomicrons) when 80% of the phospholipids had been removed. 4. It is speculated that the hepatic uptake of phospholipid-depleted chylomicrons occurs by a mechanism to that of chylomicron-remnants uptake.