Following diazoxide (DZ) induced hypoinsulinemia, cardiac luminal lipoprotein lipase (LPL) increases [Cardiovasc. Res. 3 (2003) 788]. To identify circulating mediators that maintain high LPL in vivo, DZ hearts were perfused for 1 h in the presence or absence of glucose, triglyceride (TG), palmitic acid or palmitoyl lysophosphatidylcholine (PLPC). Only PLPC maintained high luminal LPL in DZ hearts, likely through enzyme recruitment from the cardiomyocyte. PLPC perfusion activated whole heart protein kinase C (PKC) epsilon. As calphostin pretreatment blocked PLPC induced PKC activation, and increases in luminal LPL activity, PKC activation is essential for the effects of PLPC. Incubation of myocytes with PLPC had no effects on either surface or intracellular LPL or PKC suggesting that PKC activation occurs in cells other than the myocyte or that metabolism of PLPC is required for its downstream effects. Since exposure of endothelial cells to PLPC activated PKC, whole heart PKC activation likely occurred in these cells. Incubation of myocytes with LPA, a phospholipase D (PLD) mediated breakdown metabolite of PLPC, significantly enhanced basal and heparin-releasable myocyte LPL activity, an effect that was duplicated by co-incubation of control myocytes with exogenous PLD and PLPC. Our data suggest that at least in the whole heart, the LPL augmenting property of PLPC likely requires endothelial PKC activation, formation of LPA, and mobilization of enzyme from the myocyte to the coronary lumen.

OBJECTIVE:Lipoprotein lipase (LPL) mediated hydrolysis of circulating triglyceride (TG)-rich lipoproteins provides the heart with fatty acids. The present study was designed to investigate the influence of circulating TG and their lipolysis in facilitating translocation of LPL from the underlying cardiomyocyte cell surface to the coronary lumen. METHODS:The in vivo effects of diazoxide (DZ), an agent that causes rapid hypoinsulinemia, and the in vitro effect of the lipoprotein breakdown product L-alpha-lysophosphatidylcholine (Lyso-PC) on luminal LPL were examined in Wistar rats. Manipulation of circulating TG in DZ-treated animals and their influence on LPL was also determined. RESULTS:Within 4 h following DZ a major increase in LPL activity and protein occurred at the coronary lumen. Myocyte cell surface LPL was reduced 50% subsequent to DZ. Exposure of isolated control hearts to 1 nM Lyso-PC enhanced luminal LPL to levels observed following DZ. Treatment of DZ animals with either WR 1339 (inhibits circulating TG breakdown) or N(6)-cyclopentyladenosine (inhibits adipose tissue lipolysis) decreased DZ induced augmentation of cardiac LPL. CONCLUSIONS:Using DZ, our studies for the first time demonstrate that LPL at the coronary lumen can be augmented as early as 4 h after hypoinsulinemia and that this increase likely involves posttranslational processing via TG breakdown of circulating lipoproteins and a Lyso-PC dependent mechanism.