Role and mechanism of dietary fats Flashcards
What is one of the most important risk factors for CVD?
Increased plasma cholesterol
What has epidemiology shown with total cholesterol and CHD?
A very strong relationship with total cholesterol and CHD mortality independent of other risk factors
How is this causal relationship proven?
Causal relationship is proven by the fact that intervention studies showing reduction of total and LDL cholesterol demonstrate a significant reduction in CHD mortality
What is the total cholesterol recommendation?
NHS: Healthy adults – 5mmol/l or lower
What is total cholesterol consumption?
Average in the UK: 5.5mmol/l (men) and 5.6 mmol/l (women)
What does the evidence say about serum LDL-C and CVD risk/mortality?
Over 100 years of supporting evidence for raised serum LDL-C and increased CVD risk and mortality . This is the consensus from EU Atherosclerosis Society (2017) (Ference et al. 2017). Serum LDL causally related to atherosclerotic CVD
What might SFA do?
Raise serum LDL-C which increases atherosclerosis and CHD. This is the basis for UK recommendations to reduce SFA intake
What should LDL ideally be?
Lower than 100mg/dL (2.6mmol/l)
Describe the lipoprotein Chylomicron and its major protein and major lipid?
apoB
TG
Describe the lipoprotein VLDL and its major protein and major lipid?
apoB
TG
Describe the lipoprotein IDL (intermediate) and its major protein and major lipid?
apoB
CE
Describe the lipoprotein LDL and its major protein and major lipid?
apoB
CE
Describe the lipoprotein HDL and its major protein and major lipid?
apoA-I
CE
What is apo?
Apolipoprotein
What is CE?
Cholesteryl ester
What does the exogenous pathway of synthesis and transport of fats refer to?
The absorption of dietary lipids by intestinal epithelial cells
How does the exogenous pathway work? Step 1
Ingested lipids are packaged into chylomicron particles, which consist mainly of triglycerides, phospholipids and cholesterol, and are coated in the protein apolipoprotein B- 48.
What is the major role of chylomicrons?
To transfer energy, in the form of fatty acids, to peripheral cells, mediated by the hydrolysis of triglycerides contained in circulating chylomicrons by lipoprotein lipase (producing glycerol (returned to liver for glucose synthesis) and fatty acids (used for resynthesis and storage mainly in adipose tissue)
How does the exogenous pathway work? Step 2
The resulting chylomicron remnant particles are then reabsorbed by the liver and the cholesterol content is either used to generate new lipoprotein particles or excreted through the bile duct
What is the endogenous pathway responsible for?
The majority of cholesterol in circulation, requires the synthesis of cholesterol by the liver, resulting in secretion of VLDL particles
What is the rate limiting enzyme in the endogenous process?
3- hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-CoA (HMG Co-A) reductase, the key target of statin drugs which are used for cholesterol lowering
How does the endogenous pathway work? Step 1
VLDL particles consisting of fatty acids, free cholesterol and TAG are packaged by and coated with the apolipoprotein apoB100, which is secreted from hepatocytes in the liver
How does the endogenous pathway work? Step 2
Like chylomicrons, circulating VLDL is acted upon by lipoprotein lipase resulting in VLDL remnants termed IDL (intermediate density lipoprotein) particles.
How does the endogenous pathway work? Step 3
IDL then returns to the liver where it is hydrolysed by hepatic lipase resulting in particles referred to as low-density lipoprotein (LDL).
How does the endogenous pathway work? Step 4
The major apoprotein of LDL remains the same: apoB100.
The apoB-100 surface protein of LDL is recognised by tissue cells by the LDL receptor (LDLr), which is expressed on the surface of cells requiring cholesterol for membrane building.
What happens to excess cellular cholesterol?
It may be subjected to the reverse cholesterol transport (RCT) pathway mediated by the ATP-binding cassette A-1 transporter (ABCA1), which enables the uptake of cholesterol by apo-AI, the main surface protein of HDL particles.
What is HDL recognised by?
HDL receptors expressed by the liver are taken up and the cholesterol is recycled to be reintroduced to new VLDL particles, or excreted by means of the bile duct
What is a prediction of the diet-heart hypothesis?
Serum cholesterol lowering effects of replacing saturated fat with vegetable oil rich in linoleic acid will diminish deposition of cholesterol in the arterial wall, slow progression of atherosclerosis, reduce coronary heart disease events, and improve survival
What supports this prediction?
Evidence from RCTs showing that replacement of saturated fat with linoleic acid lowers serum total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein - observational evidence linking serum cholesterol to coronary heart disease events and deaths
What goes against these compelling relations?
no RCT has shown that replacement of saturated fat with linoleic acid significantly reduces coronary heart disease events or deaths
What are key facts to remember regarding SFA and CVD?
- At population level, high SFA consumption per se is not linked to higher CVD incidence and mortality
- However, replacement of SFA with a macronutrient does change CVD risk
How is LDL uptake into the liver?
via the LDL receptor (called LDL-receptor mediated endocytosis). The LDL receptors are in clusters and form vesicles that carry LDL into the cell.
What happens once inside cell?
receptors dissociate from cholesterol and then fold back to translocate to cell surface (receptor recycling). Lysosomal hydrolysis releases free cholesterol which can be incorporated into cell membranes or metabolized into steroids or bile acids.
What does excess cholesterol cause?
will inhibit de novo cholesterol synthesis (via inhibition of HMGCoA reductase), inhibit LDL receptor synthesis and stimulate cholesterol storage (as cholesteryl ester).
What happens with high con of cholesterol in liver?
uptake will adapt (lower) and LDL particles remain higher in the circulation which exposes a higher CVD risk.
What happens if LDL cannot get cleared through liver?
if the levels are too high, this increases CVD risk.
In summary, what is lipoprotein recovery?
- Remnants of lipoproteins (CR, LDL) are recovered by the liver
- Uptake of cholesterol in liver cells
- LDL receptors are regulated by free cholesterol within cells
- Increase in LDL receptors on membrane reduces plasma LDL concentrations
How was the link between cholesterol and heart disease first recognised?
through the study of individuals with familial hypercholesterolemia
What do individuals with familial hypercholesterolemia have?
several-fold higher levels of circulating LDL due to a defect in the function of their LDL receptors (Autosomal dominant mutation in LDL receptor - heterozygote: 1:500; homozygote: 1:1Mio
What happens without functioning LDL receptors?
LDL is not cleared from the circulation. As well, because cholesterol cannot get into cells efficiently, there is no negative feedback suppression of cholesterol synthesis in the liver.
What happens to Heterozygotes in terms of health outcomes?
increased plasma cholesterol with first heart attack at 30-40years old (50% LDL deficiency causes 2x higher plasma cholesterol)
What happens to Homozygotes in terms of health outcomes?
increased cholesterol and VLDL, with increased risk of cardiovascular disease/obesity (6-10fold increased LDL Chol)
What happens if familial hypercholesterolemia is undiagnosed?
Males can have first heart attack at ~2years (females protected ~20years old) – depends on severity of mutation (partial/total)
What is the need for cholesterol in the body?
- Cholesterol is a fundamental component of cell membranes
- Cholesterol is a fundamental component of lipoproteins
- Cholesterol is a precursor of bile acids, steroid hormones and vitamin D (activated by UV)
How much cholesterol does the body produce?
Body produces around 75% of the cholesterol required
A man with 70kg body weight produces ~1g/d, total body cholesterol is 35g
How much cholesterol is from the diet?
25%
What is the average intake of cholesterol from the diet per day?
Dietary cholesterol intake approx 200-300mg/day
(150-250mg cholesterol per egg yolk,
Absorption 40-60%)
What happens if dietary intake is high?
The body correspondingly decreases cholesterol synthesis in liver
What happens if dietary intake is low?
at lower intake levels linear and above 300-400mg/day – hyperbolic response
What happens for every 100mg increase?
Rise of 10mg/dL
What happens for every 200mg/day reduction?
Decrease of 10mg/dL (approx. 5%)
What is the difference between animals and humans?
humans do not develop severe hypercholesterolaemia when fed high cholesterol diets