Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Original Article
  • Published:

Effect of three consecutive meals on the physicochemical properties of HDL and LDL in individuals with the metabolic syndrome and patients with type 2 diabetes

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 65, pages 1242–1249 (2011)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Background/Objectives:

Postprandial hyperlipidemia, which is exaggerated and prolonged in insulin-resistant individuals, has been associated with cardiovascular disease. The objective of this study was to investigate whether and how the composition, size and function of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) particles are affected in the postprandial state among males with the metabolic syndrome (MetS) or type 2 diabetes (T2DM), compared with controls.

Subjects/Methods:

A total of 14 males with T2DM, 14 with the MetS and 14 age-matched controls were given three standardized high-fat mixed meals (900 kcal; 50-g fat, 75-g carbohydrate and 35-g protein) as breakfast, lunch and dinner. Blood sampling was performed just before each meal, and 4 and 8 h after the last meal. HDL and LDL were isolated by ultracentrifugation and analyzed for their composition, particle diameter and functional properties.

Results:

Postprandial triglycerides levels in plasma, HDL and LDL particles increased significantly in all groups (P<0.01). Compared with the control subjects, patients with T2DM had smaller LDL particles, and in agreement, a lower cholesterol-to-protein content in both fasting and postprandial samples. A prolonged increase in susceptibility of LDL to oxidation was found in all subjects, but was most evident in T2DM. The postprandial effect on LDL oxidation was associated with an increase in LDL triglyceride (r=0.29, P<0.05). In T2DM the anti-oxidative capacity of HDL trended to impairment after the third meal.

Conclusions:

Postprandial increases in triglycerides, especially in T2DM, are accompanied by pro-atherosclerotic functional changes in HDL and LDL particles.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1
Figure 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bansal S, Buring JE, Rifai N, Mora S, Sacks FM, Ridker PM (2007). Fasting compared with nonfasting triglycerides and risk of cardiovascular events in women. JAMA 298, 309–316.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Blackburn P, Cote M, Lamarche B, Couillard C, Pascot A, Tremblay A et al. (2003). Impact of postprandial variation in triglyceridemia on low-density lipoprotein particle size. Metabolism 52, 1379–1386.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bowen PE, Borthakur G (2004). Postprandial lipid oxidation and cardiovascular disease risk. Curr Atheroscler Rep 6, 477–484.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cardona F, Tunez I, Tasset I, Garrido-Sanchez L, Collantes E, Tinahones FJ (2008). Circulating antioxidant defences are decreased in healthy people after a high-fat meal. Br J Nutr 100, 312–316.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ceriello A, Quagliaro L, Piconi L, Assaloni R, Da Ros R, Maier A et al. (2004). Effect of postprandial hypertriglyceridemia and hyperglycemia on circulating adhesion molecules and oxidative stress generation and the possible role of simvastatin treatment. Diabetes 53, 701–710.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cleeman JI (2001). Executive summary of The Third Report of The National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, And Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol In Adults (Adult Treatment Panel III). JAMA 285, 2486–2497.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Diwadkar VA, Anderson JW, Bridges SR, Gowri MS, Oelgten PR (1999). Postprandial low-density lipoproteins in type 2 diabetes are oxidized more extensively than fasting diabetes and control samples. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med 222, 178–184.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Foger B, Trobinger G, Ritsch A, Lechleitner M, Hopferwieser T, Menzel HJ et al. (1995). Treatment of primary mixed hyperlipidemia with etophylline clofibrate: effects on lipoprotein-modifying enzymes, postprandial lipoprotein metabolism, and lipoprotein distribution and composition. Atherosclerosis 117, 253–261.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Friedewald WT, Levy RI, Fredrickson DS (1972). Estimation of the concentration of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in plasma, without use of the preparative ultracentrifuge. Clin Chem 18, 499–502.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Graner M, Kahri J, Nakano T, Sarna SJ, Nieminen MS, Syvanne M et al. (2006). Impact of postprandial lipaemia on low-density lipoprotein (LDL) size and oxidized LDL in patients with coronary artery disease. Eur J Clin Invest 36, 764–770.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hajer GR, Dallinga-Thie GM, van Vark-van der Zee LC, Visseren FL (2009). The effect of statin alone or in combination with ezetimibe on postprandial lipoprotein composition in obese metabolic syndrome patients. Atherosclerosis 202, 216–224.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hiramatsu K, Arimori S (1988). Increased superoxide production by mononuclear cells of patients with hypertriglyceridemia and diabetes. Diabetes 37, 832–837.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Koba S, Tsunoda F, Hirano T, Iso Y, Suzuki H, Geshi E et al. (2005). Postprandial changes in LDL phenotypes in patients with myocardial infarction. Eur J Clin Invest 35, 171–179.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lopez-Miranda J, Williams C, Lairon D (2007). Dietary, physiological, genetic and pathological influences on postprandial lipid metabolism. Br J Nutr 98, 458–473.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Markwell MAK, Haas SM, Tolbert NE, Bieber LL (1981). Protein determination in membrane and lipoprotein samples: manual and automated procedures. Methods Enzymol 72, 296–303.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mora S, Rifai N, Buring JE, Ridker PM (2008). Fasting compared with nonfasting lipids and apolipoproteins for predicting incident cardiovascular events. Circulation 118, 993–1001.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Navab M, Hama SY, Hough GP, Subbanagounder G, Reddy ST, Fogelman AM (2001). A cell-free assay for detecting HDL that is dysfunctional in preventing the formation of or inactivating oxidized phospholipids. J Lipid Res 42, 1308–1317.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nicholls SJ, Lundman P, Harmer JA, Cutri B, Griffiths KA, Rye KA et al. (2006). Consumption of saturated fat impairs the anti-inflammatory properties of high-density lipoproteins and endothelial function. J Am Coll Cardiol 48, 715–720.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nordestgaard BG, Benn M, Schnohr P, Tybjaerg-Hansen A (2007). Nonfasting triglycerides and risk of myocardial infarction, ischemic heart disease, and death in men and women. JAMA 298, 299–308.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Noto D, Rizzo M, Barbagallo CM, Cefalu AB, Verde AL, Fayer F et al. (2006). Low-density lipoproteins generated during an oral fat load in mild hypertriglyceridemic and healthy subjects are smaller, denser, and have an increased low-density lipoprotein receptor binding affinity. Metabolism 55, 1308–1316.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • O’Keefe JH, Bell DSH (2007). Postprandial hyperglycemia/hyperlipidemia (postprandial dysmetabolism) is a cardiovascular risk factor. Am J Cardiol 100, 899–904.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Patel S, Puranik R, Nakhla S, Lundman P, Stocker R, Wang XS et al. (2009). Acute hypertriglyceridaemia in humans increases the triglyceride content and decreases the anti-inflammatory capacity of high density lipoproteins. Atherosclerosis 204, 424–428.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pronai L, Hiramatsu K, Saigusa Y, Nakazawa H (1991). Low superoxide scavenging activity associated with enhanced superoxide generation by monocytes from male hypertriglyceridemia with and without diabetes. Atherosclerosis 90, 39–47.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Scheffer PG, Bakker SJL, Heine RJ, Teerlink T (1997). Measurement of low-density lipoprotein particle size by high-performance gel-filtration chromatography. Clin Chem 43, 1904–1912.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Scheffer PG, Bos G, Volwater HG, Dekker JM, Heine RJ, Teerlink T (2003). Associations of LDL size with in vitro oxidizability and plasma levels of in vivo oxidized LDL in type 2 diabetic patients. Diabet Med 20, 563–567.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Scheffer PG, Teerlink T, Heine RJ (2005). Clinical significance of the physicochemical properties of LDL in type 2 diabetes. Diabetologia 48, 808–816.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schindhelm RK, Alssema M, Diamant M, Teerlink T, Dekker JM, Kok A et al. (2008). Comparison of two consecutive fat-rich and carbohydrate-rich meals on postprandial myeloperoxidase response in women with and without type 2 diabetes mellitus. Metabolism 57, 262–267.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tushuizen ME, Nieuwland R, Rustemeijer C, Hensgens BE, Sturk A, Heine RJ et al. (2007). Elevated endothelial microparticles following consecutive meals are associated with vascular edothelial dysfunction in type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care 30, 728–730.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ursini F, Sevanian A (2002). Postprandial oxidative stress. Biol Chem 383, 599–605.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Vakkilainen J, Mero N, Schweizer A, Foley JE, Taskinen MR (2002). Effects of nateglinide and glibenclamide on postprandial lipid and glucose metabolism in type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Metab Res Rev 18, 484–490.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Van Oostrom AJ, Sijmonsma TP, Verseyden C, Jansen EH, de Koning EJ, Rabelink TJ et al. (2003). Postprandial recruitment of neutrophils may contribute to endothelial dysfunction. J Lipid Res 44, 576–583.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This study was supported by a grant from the Dutch Diabetes Foundation (Grant number 2000.00.025). McDonald's, the Netherlands, is gratefully acknowledged for providing the test meals. We gratefully acknowledge Bert Volwater for technical support.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical Chemistry, Metabolic Unit, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    P G Scheffer & H P A Vermue

  2. Department of Internal Medicine, Diabetes Center, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    M E Tushuizen, R K Schindhelm & M Diamant

  3. Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Amstelland, Amstelveen, The Netherlands

    C Rustemeijer

Authors
  1. P G Scheffer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. M E Tushuizen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. H P A Vermue
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. R K Schindhelm
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. C Rustemeijer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. M Diamant
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to P G Scheffer.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Scheffer, P., Tushuizen, M., Vermue, H. et al. Effect of three consecutive meals on the physicochemical properties of HDL and LDL in individuals with the metabolic syndrome and patients with type 2 diabetes. Eur J Clin Nutr 65, 1242–1249 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2011.114

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2011.114

Keywords

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links