Chylomicron metabolism in rats: lipolysis, recirculation of triglyceride-derived fatty acids in plasma FFA, and fate of core lipids as analyzed by compartmental modelling.

Chylomicrons labeled in vivo with [14C]oleic acid (primarily in triglycerides (TG), providing a tracer for lipolysis) and [3H]retinol (primarily in ester form, providing a tracer for the corelipids) were injected into rats. Disappearance of the two labels from plasma and appearance of label in plasma free fatty acids (FFA) were analyzed by compartmental modelling. Both core and TG label distributed into an apparent volume 10-15% larger than the blood volume. Part of this probably represents margination to endothelial-binding-lipolysis sites. An open two-compartmental model for plasma FFA was derived from experiments where unesterified oleic acid complexed to albumin was injected. Applying this model revealed that most of the oleic acid from chylomicron triglycerides mixes with the FFA. The disappearance of chylomicron core label required a model in which the label transfers into a second compartment before it leaves the blood. The rate constant for the transformation was high and predicted that, on average, chylomicron spent less than 2 min in the first compartment. The rate out from the second compartment predicted that about 60% of the core label left blood while, on average, chylomicron retained more than half of its triglyceride molecules, i.e., after rather limited lipolysis. The mechanism by which the core label leaves blood is not clear. Modelling showed that under the assumption that the process is shared by chylomicron triglycerides, about half of them go out by this pathway. Comparing fed and fasted rats, the main differences were in the turnover of FFA and in the extent to which chylomicron TG label reappeared in the FFA. This study indicates that a large fraction of the triglycerides in chylomicrons leave plasma together with the core lipids and that most of the fatty acids from chylomicron triglycerides mix into the same metabolic compartments as do plasma free fatty acids.