Lipid class and molecular species interrelationships among plasma lipoproteins of normolipemic subjects.

As evidence of lipoprotein interconversion and/or equilibration, a gas-liquid chromatographic (GLC) examination was made of the lipid class and molecular species interrelationships among the major fasting plasma lipoprotein fractions within each of seven male and four female normolipemic subjects subsisting on free choice diets. The lipoprotein fractions were prepared by conventional ultracentrifugation and the lipid class and molecular species composition of the corresponding lipoprotein fractions were determined by GLC of the intact cholesterol and glycerol esters and of ceramides. In general, each lipoprotein fraction possessed a well defined lipid class composition, which was characterized by a dramatically decreasing triacylglycerol and an increasing phospholipid and cholesteryl ester content when progressing from the very low (VLDL), to the low (LDL2) and high (HDL) density lipoproteins, as already established by conventional analyses. However, the LDL2 contained about a two times higher proportion of total phospholipids as sphingomyelin than VLDL and HDL. Furthermore, the sphingomyelins of the HDL fraction contained about 30% more of the higher molecular weight species than the sphingomyelins of either VLDL or LDL. Smaller differences were seen in the molecular species composition of the phosphatidylcholines, cholesteryl esters and triacylglycerols among the corresponding fractions of lipoproteins. In general, the lipid class and molecular species distribution is incompatible with the hypothesis which postulates VLDL conversion into LDL and HDL under the influence of lipoprotein lipase and lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase. The significant differences noted in the lipid class and molecular species distribution suggest that the true transformations of the lipoproteins are much more complex and may also involve cholesteryl ester-triacylglycerol, triacylglycerol and phosphatidylcholine exchanges via appropriate carrier plasma proteins, as well as possible phase separation of lipids during the removal of the excess surface material from the VLDL remnants, as already demonstrated in in vitro experiments. It is concluded that a direct GLC analysis of the neutral and polar lipid components of plasma lipoprotein classes provides important evidence of lipoprotein interrelationships which may be utilized to test existing and new hypotheses of lipoprotein interconversion.