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Journal of Lipid Research, Vol. 20, 31-39, January 1979
Copyright © 1979 by Lipid Research, Inc.

Low density lipoprotein metabolism and lipoprotein cholesterol content in southwestern American Indians

Marc B. Garnick , Peter H. Bennett , and Terry Langer

Phoenix Clinical Research Section, National Institute of Arthritis, Metabolism and Digestive Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Phoenix, AZ 85016

The prevalence of ischemic heart disease is significantly lower in southwestern American Indians than in Caucasians. To investigate this difference, the metabolism of low density lipoprotein apoprotein (apo-LDL) and plasma lipoprotein cholesterol composition were studied in 10 southwestern American Indians and 5 Caucasian controls. The plasma concentration of LDL cholesterol in American Indians was 88 ± 5 mg/dl (mean ± SEM) and 111 ± 7 mg/dl in Caucasians. The corresponding values of apo-LDL concentrations were 53 ± 3 mg/dl and 77 ± 4 mg/dl, respectively. Conversely, high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) concentrations were significantly higher in American Indians (56 ± 4 mg/dl) than in Caucasians (37 ± 3 mg/dl). There were no statistically significant differences in the biological half-life of apo-LDL, calculated from the second exponential of the plasma die-away curve (3.06 ± 0.15 days vs. 3.45 ± 0.11 days), the fractional catabolic rate of apo-LDL (0.432 ± 0.01 vs. 0.411 ± 0.01), or the fraction of total exchangeable apo-LDL in the intravascular space (70 ± 1 vs. 67 ± 3%). As derived from the absolute catabolic rate under steady-state conditions, the synthetic rate of apo-LDL in American Indians was, however, significantly lower than in Caucasians (334.6 ± 7.8 mg/m² per day vs. 507.2 ± 6.7 mg/m² per day; P < 0.001). These data indicate that the lower levels of plasma LDL cholesterol and apo-LDL in American Indians are due to a reduced rate of apo-LDL synthesis rather than to differences in fractional catabolic rates. These differences, in combination with higher HDL cholesterol levels, may contribute to the lower prevalence of ischemic heart disease in American Indians.

Supplementary key words low density lipoprotein • atherosclerosis • heart disease • high density lipoprotein • cholesterol • American Indians

Submitted on December 15, 1977
Accepted on June 11, 1978

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