Increased serum triglyceride clearance, unchanged cholesteryl ester transfer protein activity, and elevated HDL cholesterol during treatment of hypertriglyceridemia with bezafibrate

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0011-393X(05)80263-2Get rights and content

Abstract

The effects of bezafibrate on lipid metabolism were evaluated in 22 patients with type IIb or type IV hypertriglyceridemia. Bezafibrate 400 mg/d was administered for 8 weeks. A fat emulsion tolerance test (FETT) to evaluate serum triglyceride (TG) clearance (fractional removal rate = K2) and measurement of cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) activity were performed before bezafibrate administration and after the 8-week treatment period using blood samples obtained after overnight fasting. Statistically significant reductions were observed in serum TG (P < 0.01), apolipoprotein (apo) B (P < 0.01), apo C-II (P < 0.05), apo C-III (P < 0.001), and apo E (P < 0.05). Significant increases were seen in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (P < 0.001), apo A-I (P < 0.001), and apo A-II (P < 0.001). K2 was significantly elevated (P < 0.001). CETP activity declined slightly, but the change was not statistically significant. Strong positive correlations were evident between the absolute value of increased K2 and the increase in both HDL-C (r = .67, P < 0.005) and apo A-I (r = .53, P < 0.05). It can be inferred from these findings that the bezafibrate-induced reduction in serum TG and increase in HDL-C observed in patients with hypertriglyceridemia arise from an acceleration in TG-rich lipoprotein metabolism.

References (26)

  • BarbirM et al.

    High prevalence of hypertriglyceridaemia and apolipoprotein abnormalities in coronary artery disease

    Br Heart J

    (1988)
  • FujinamiT et al.

    Coronary risk factors in angiographically defined patients with chest pain

    Jpn J Med

    (1990)
  • SakumaN et al.

    A simplified intravenous fat emulsion tolerance test

    J Clin Biochem Nutr

    (1987)
  • Cited by (7)

    View all citing articles on Scopus
    View full text