Determinants of fasting hypertriglyceridemia in ventromedial hypothalamic obesity in rats

The present study investigated the mechanism of fasting hypertriglyceridemia in ventromedial hypothalamic (VMH) obesity by measurement of post-heparin plasma lipoprotein lipase (LPL) activity, triglyceride secretion rate (TGSR), and plasma insulin. One week after VMH lesions, when the lesioned rats were gaining weight rapidly (the dynamic phase), they showed normal plasma triglyceride levels with increased plasma LPL activity and TGSR. There was a positive correlation between hyperinsulinemia and elevated plasma LPL activity or TGSR in VMH-lesioned rats, while no correlation was observed in control rats. Ten weeks after VMH lesions, when the rats had become obese and reached a steady-state weight gain (the static phase), they showed hypertriglyceridemia with increased plasma LPL activity and TGSR. There was, again, a positive correlation between hyperinsulinemia and elevated plasma LPL activity or TGSR in VMH-lesioned rats. These results suggest a possible mechanism of fasting hypertriglyceridemia in these rats; in the dynamic phase adipose tissue adequately takes up circulating triglyceride because the tissue has sufficient take-up capacity and hence hypertriglyceridemia does not develop. In the static phase the tissue cannot adequately take up circulating triglyceride because of a limitation of its capacity, resulting in hypertriglycemia despite enhanced triglyceride secretion and increased LPL activity in both phases.