Estimation of plasma triglycerides with correction for free glycerol by orlistat inhibition of lipoprotein lipase activity.

This report presents a modification of the enzymatic method (lipoprotein lipase/glycerol kinase/glycerol-3-phosphate oxidase/peroxidase) for determination of plasma triglyceride levels in order to achieve correction for the free glycerol content. The strategy is based on elimination of lipoprotein lipase activity from the single "multienzyme reagent" by use of orlistat, thereby allowing formation of quinoneimine chromophore from free glycerol. Orlistat was found to abolish the lipoprotein lipase activity (triolein was used as substrate) without any impact on the glycerol-driven rate of quinoneimine generation. Conditions were standardized for estimation of both triglyceride and glycerol content of mice plasma using a microplate reader.