Relationships between Very Low‐Density Lipoproteins–Ceramides, −Diacylglycerols, and –Triacylglycerols in Insulin‐Resistant Men
Justine M. Mucinski, Camila Manrique‐Acevedo, Takhar Kasumov, Timothy J. Garrett, Ayman H. Gaballah, Elizabeth J. Parks
Abstract
Abstract This short report describes the relationships between concentrations of ceramides (CER), diacylglycerols (DAG), triacylglycerols (TAG) in very low‐density lipoproteins (VLDL) particles, and hepatic lipid accumulation. VLDL particles were isolated from male subjects (n = 12, mean ± SD, age 42.1 ± 5.4 years, BMI 37.4 ± 4.1 kg/m 2 , ALT 45 ± 21 U/L) and apolipoprotein B100 (apoB100), VLDL‐TAG, ‐CER, and ‐DAG quantified. The contents of all three lipids were highly correlated with VLDL particle number ( r ≥ 0.768, p ≤ 0.003). The molar quantity of VLDL‐TAG was 3× that of DAG and 137× that of CER (14,053 ± 5714, 5004 ± 2714, and 105 ± 49 mol/mol apoB100, respectively). Reduced VLDL‐CER concentrations were associated with both higher insulin levels ( r = −0.645, p = 0.024) and intrahepatic‐TAG ( r = −0.670, p = 0.017). In fatty liver, the secretion of hepatic TAG, CER, and DAG may be suppressed and contribute to intrahepatic lipotoxicity. The mechanisms by which hepatic‐CER and ‐DAG synthesis and assembly into VLDL is coordinately controlled with TAG will be important in understanding the emerging role of elevated CER contributing to cardiometabolic disease.