Differential effects of streptozotocin-induced diabetes on cardiac lipoprotein lipase activity.

Lipoprotein lipase (LPL) is an endothelial-bound enzyme that is rate determining for the clearance of triacylglycerol-rich lipoproteins. Previous studies using rats with streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes have reported inconsistent effects on cardiac LPL activity or immunoreactive protein. To examine the contribution of the severity and duration of diabetes on cellular and heparin-releasable cardiac LPL activity, Wistar rats were administered a high (100 mg/kg; D100) or moderate (55 mg/kg; D55) dose of STZ, and LPL activity was examined at various times after diabetes induction. Heparin perfusion of the isolated Langendorff control heart induced the release of LPL activity as an initial fast phase followed by a slow phase of release. With increasing age, the second phase of LPL release became more pronounced. Severe STZ-induced diabetes reduced heparin-releasable LPL activity by 1 week in the D100 rats. However, in D55 rat hearts, peak heparin-releasable LPL activity was higher than that in control animals at 2 and 12 weeks after STZ injection, with a complete absence of the delayed phase at 12 weeks. The elevated heparin-releasable LPL peak could not be explained by an enhanced LPL synthesis because both cellular and surface-bound LPL activities in myocytes from D55 rats were low, relative to control. Chronic (12-day) insulin treatment of D55 rats prevented the rise in heparin-releasable LDL and the reduction in cell-associated LPL activity. Moreover, acute (90-min) treatment of D55 rats with rapid-acting insulin also reduced the heparin-releasable LPL activity to normal levels, although it had no effect on the low cellular LPL activity. When the heparin-releasable LPL pool was allowed to recover for 1 h after removal of the enzyme, D55 rat hearts continued to demonstrate a higher peak LPL activity after a second heparin perfusion. These studies demonstrate that in moderate but not severe diabetes, there is an augmented peak heparin-releasable LPL activity. Whether or not this enhanced heparin-releasable LPL activity has a pathological role in the diabetic heart has yet to be determined.