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. 1981 Mar;67(3):857–866. doi: 10.1172/JCI110103

Transport of Apolipoproteins A-I and A-II by Human Thoracic Duct Lymph

David W Anderson 1, Ernst J Schaefer 1, Thomas J Bronzert 1, Frank T Lindgren 1, Trudy Forte 1, Thomas E Starzl 1, Gary D Niblack 1, Loren A Zech 1, H Bryan Brewer Jr 1
PMCID: PMC370637  PMID: 7204560

Abstract

The daily transport of human plasma apolipoproteins A-I and A-II, triglyceride, and total cholesterol from the thoracic duct lymph into plasma was measured in two subjects before and three subjects after renal transplantation. Lymph triglyceride transport was ∼83% of the daily ingested fat loads, whereas lymph cholesterol transport was consistently greater than the amount of daily ingested cholesterol. Lymph apolipoprotein transport significantly (P < 0.05) exceeded the predicted apolipoprotein synthesis rate by an average of 659±578 mg/d for apolipoprotein A-I and 109±59 mg/d for apolipoprotein A-II among the five subjects. It is estimated that 22-77% (apolipoprotein A-I) and 28-82% (apolipoprotein A-II) of daily total body apolipoprotein synthesis takes place in the intestine.

Lymph high density lipoprotein particles are mostly high density lipoprotein2b and high density lipoprotein2a and have a greater overall relative triglyceride content and a smaller relative cholesteryl ester content when compared with homologous plasma high density lipoproteins. The major quantity of both lymph apolipoprotein A-I (81±8%) and apolipoprotein A-II (90±11%) was found within high density lipoproteins with almost all of the remainder found in chylomicrons and very low density lipoproteins.

The combined results are consistent with a major contribution of the intestine to total body synthesis of apolipoprotein A-I and apolipoprotein A-II. An important role of lymph in returning filtered apolipoprotein to plasma in association with high density lipoproteins is proposed. Accompanying the return of filtered apolipoprotein to the plasma is a probable transformation, both in size and composition, of at least some of the lymph high density lipoprotein2b and high density lipoprotein2a particles into high density lipoprotein3.

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Selected References

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