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Mechanisms mediating lipoprotein responses to diets with medium‐chain triglyceride and lauric acid
Author(s) -
Tsai YuHwai,
Park Sunmin,
Kovacic Jeffery,
Snook Jean T.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
lipids
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.601
H-Index - 120
eISSN - 1558-9307
pISSN - 0024-4201
DOI - 10.1007/s11745-999-0438-9
Subject(s) - polyunsaturated fatty acid , clinical chemistry , triglyceride , endocrinology , medicine , cholesterol , lipidology , chemistry , low density lipoprotein , lipoprotein , lauric acid , fatty acid , ldl receptor , saturated fat , polyunsaturated fat , biochemistry , biology
Medium‐chain triglycerides (MCT) are often used in specialized formula diets or designer fats because of their special properties. Yet their influence on lipid metabolis is not completely understood. In this two‐period cross‐over study, the effects of MCT (8∶0+10∶0) in contrast to a similar saturated fatty acid (12∶0) were compared. Eighteen healthy women ate a baseline diet [polyunsaturated (PUFA)/saturated fat=0.9] fer 1 wk. Then, they consumed test diets (PUFA/saturated fat=0.2) for 4 wk. Monounsaturated fat and cholesterol were constant in baseline and treatment diets. MCT and 12∶0, substituted for part of the PUFA, provided 14 energy (en)% of the test diets. In comparison to the PUFA baseline diet, a 16% increase in mean serum low density lipoprotein (LDL)‐cholesterol (C) on the 12∶0 diet was accompanied by a 21% decrease in mean receptormediated degradation of LDL by freshly isolated mononuclear cells (MNC) in vitro . The MNC assay theoretically gives an indication of receptor‐mediated degradation of LDL. In contrast, the MCT diet raised mean receptor‐mediated degradation of LDL by 42%, a finding out of line with the mean 11% increase in serum LDL‐C. Perhaps MCT, by increasing the rate of LDL‐C production, overcame the rate of LDL‐C clearance. The 12∶0 diet enhanced some factors involved in reverse cholesterol transport (e.g., high density lipoprotein fractions) while MCT had a different of less pronounced effect. The overall effects of MCT on cholesterol metabolism may or may not be desirable, whereas those of 12∶0 appear largely undesirable as previously reported.