Abstract 388: Apolipoprotein A-V Deficiency in Mice Results In Increased Triglyceride and Cholesterol Absorption

Elevated plasma triglycerides constitute an independent risk factor for coronary heart disease. Discovered in 2001, apolipoprotein A-V (apoA-V) was found inversely proportional to plasma triglycerides (TG). Synthesized only in the liver, apoA-V exists in very low concentrations in the plasma (~10,000 fold lower than apoA-I). While apoA-V is proposed to enhance hydrolysis and reduce hepatic production of TG-rich lipoproteins, the role of apoA-V on intestinal lipid absorption has not been investigated. The aim of this study is to examine the effects of apoA-V deficiency on intestinal lipid absorption in chow-fed mice. Since mice lacking functional apoA-V have drastically elevated plasma TG, we hypothesize that apoA-V deficiency in mice elevates the lymphatic output of TG after a lipid meal. Using apoA-V knockout (n=8) and wildtype (n=8) control mice, we employed the conscious lymph fistula model to examine the transport of dietary TG and cholesterol into the lymph during a continuous lipid infusion. Interestingly, apoA-V knockout mice displayed a 2-fold elevation in dietary TG (P