Interrelationships between the kinetics of VLDL subspecies and HDL catabolism in abdominal obesity: a multicenter tracer kinetic study.

CONTEXT Low plasma high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol is a major abnormality in abdominal obesity. This relates due to accelerated HDL catabolism, but the underlying mechanism requires further elucidation. The relationships between HDL catabolism and other variables that may be modified in abdominal obesity, such as very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) subspecies (VLDL1, VLDL2) kinetics, liver fat, or visceral adiposity, remain to be investigated. OBJECTIVES Our aim was to study the associations between HDL apolipoprotein (apo)-A-I fractional catabolic rate (FCR) and the kinetics of VLDL subspecies and estimates of liver and visceral and sc fat. DESIGN We carried out a multicenter in vivo kinetic study using stable isotopes (deuterated leucine and glycerol) in 62 individuals with abdominal obesity. RESULTS In a multivariate analysis, among the morphological and biological parameters that may predict apoA-I FCR, liver fat (β = .400, P = .003), and VLDL1-apoB (β = .307, P = .020) were independently associated with apoA-I FCR. In a multivariate analysis, among the kinetic parameters, VLDL1-triglycerides (TGs) indirect FCR (β = -.357, P = .001), VLDL1-TG production rate (β = 0.213, P = .048), and apoA-II FCR (β = .667, P < .0001) were independently associated with apoA-I FCR. After adjustment for VLDL1-TG production rate, liver fat was no more correlated with apoA-I FCR. No association between apoA-I FCR and visceral fat was observed. CONCLUSIONS We show that VLDL1 is an important independent determinant of apoA-I FCR and more precisely that apoA-I FCR is independently associated with both catabolism and the production of VLDL1-TG. In addition, we show an association between liver fat and apoA-I FCR that is mostly mediated by VLDL1-TG production. These data indicate that, in abdominal obesity, dysfunctional VLDL1 metabolism is an important modulator of HDL apoA-I catabolism.