Hepatic and extrahepatic triglyceride lipase activity in uraemic patients on chronic haemodialysis

Abstract. In eleven patients with chronic renal insufficiency treated by intermittent haemodialysis and in ten normal subjects, hepatic and extrahepatic triglyceride lipase activity of post heparin plasma was selectively measured, utilizing the different sensitivity of both enzymes to inhibition by protamine sulphate. In uraemic patients, hepatic triglyceride lipase activity was significantly decreased and extrahepatic triglyceride lipase activity was normal when compared with the control group.
The uraemic subjects showed a moderate hypertri-glyceridaemia; their serum cholesterol level, however, was normal. The high triglyceride concentration was due to an increase of very low density lipoproteins and low density lipoproteins of the density between 1.006 and 1.019g/ml (LDL₁) The concentration of low density lipoproteins of the density between 1.019 and 1.063g/ml (LDL₂) was decreased. LDL₂ were relatively rich in triglycerides when compared with LDL₂ from the control group.