Fig. 1.

ApoE-mediated TG uptake by liver and adipose tissue contributes to maintaining normal plasma lipid levels (left panel). Impaired TG uptake in liver and adipose tissue in the absence of apoE contributes to the accumulation of VLDL and chylomicron remnants in the plasma and foam cell accumulation in the vessel wall (right panel). The arrows represent changes in lipid accumulation in different tissues in the presence and absence of apoE. ApoE is important in peripheral energy metabolism and may have an effect on plaques in addition to its established role in lipoprotein trafficking.