EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL ON LIPOPROTEIN-LIPASE, HEPATIC LIPASE, CHOLESTERYLESTER TRANSFER PROTEIN, AND LECITHIN-CHOLESTEROL ACYLTRANSFERASE IN HIGH-DENSITY-LIPOPROTEIN CHOLESTEROL ELEVATION

The mechanism whereby alcohol increases high-density lipoprotein chole sterol (HDL-C) levels is unclear. Lipoprotein lipase (LPL), hepatic li pase (HL), cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) and lecithin:chol esterol acyltransferase (LCAT) act on lipoprotein metabolism. The purp ose of the present study is to determine which one or what combination of these factors is responsible for the rise in HDL-C levels followin g alcohol ingestion. After 3 weeks of abstinence, 12 men consumed 0.5 g/kg bw of alcohol per day for 4 weeks; 13 abstaining men served as co ntrols. Mean plasma total cholesterol (TC) levels were unchanged in ei ther group throughout the study. Among the alcohol consumers, plasma t riglycerides (TG), HDL-C, apolipoprotein (ape) A-I and A-II levels inc reased significantly after 3 weeks of alcohol loading but were unchang ed in the control group. High-density lipoprotein(3) cholesterol (HDL( 3)-C) levels increased significantly in the alcohol consumers after 4 weeks of alcohol loading whereas high-density lipoprotein(2) cholester ol (HDL(2)-C) levels were unaffected. In the controls, neither HDL(2)- C nor HDL(3)-C changed significantly. Post-heparin plasma (PHP) LPL ac tivity and mass increased significantly (P < 0.01) after the alcohol i ngestion (controls remained unchanged) without changing LPL specific a ctivity. HL, CETP and LCAT activities, were unaffected in both groups. We conclude that of the factors considered, LPL contributed the most to the alcohol-induced rise in HDL-C.