Hepatic lipase may act as a ligand in the uptake of artificial chylomicron remnant-like particles by isolated rat hepatocytes.

Active and heat-inactivated hepatic lipase stimulated to a statistically comparable extent the uptake of chylomicron remnant-like particles by isolated rat hepatocytes by 3-fold and 2.3-fold respectively and, likewise, their binding to hepatic plasma membranes by 5-fold and 4-fold respectively. Hepatic lipase may facilitate uptake of these particles, not only as a lipolytic enzyme, but also as a ligand anchored to extracellular glycosaminoglycans.