Plasma kinetics of chylomicron-like emulsion and lipid transfers to high-density lipoprotein (HDL) in lacto-ovo vegetarian and in omnivorous subjects.

Purpose: Previously, it was showed that vegan diet improves the metabolism of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins by increasing the plasma clearance of atherogenic remnants. The aim of the current study was to investigate this metabolism in lacto-ovo vegetarians whose diet is less strict, allowing the ingestion of eggs and milk. Transfer of lipids to HDL, an important step in HDL metabolism, was tested in vitro.

LDL concentration is correlated with the removal from the plasma of a chylomicron-like emulsion in subjects with coronary artery disease.

In animal model studies, the uptake of chylomicron remnants after entering in the space of Disse occurs mainly by low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor and LDL receptor-related protein (LRP). In subjects, the relative importance of each one of these receptors for the clearance of chylomicron remnants is not fully understood. In our study, LDL cholesterol and apolipoprotein (apo) B were correlated to the plasma kinetics of a chylomicron-like emulsion in 77 subjects (11 women, mean age 58 +/- 12 years) with coronary artery disease (CAD).