American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol 50, 73-79, Copyright © 1989 by The American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc

ORIGINAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS

Cholesterol and apolipoprotein distribution in plasma high-density- lipoprotein subclasses from zinc-deficient rats

SI Koo and CC Lee
Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Oral Roberts University, Tulsa, OK 74171.

Effect of zinc deficiency on the composition of plasma high-density- lipoprotein (HDL) subclasses was investigated in adult male rats (ZD) fed a diet containing 2.8 micrograms of Zn/g as compared with pair-fed (PF) and ad libitum-fed (CT) controls given 30.8 micrograms of Zn/g. Three HDL subclasses were isolated by heparin-affinity chromatography: HDL containing no apo E (HDL-E0), HDL with a moderate amount of apo E (HDL-E1), and HDL highly enriched in apo E (HDL-E2). The plasma levels of total HDL cholesterol and protein were markedly decreased in ZD. The decreases were due primarily to a significant decline in circulating HDL-E0 particles. The percent content of free cholesterol in HDL-E2 was increased in ZD compared with PF and CT. Zn deficiency decreased the plasma concentrations of apo A-I and apo C of HDL-E0 and total apo E associated with HDL-E1 and HDL-E2. The mechanisms for such changes await further investigation.