LIPOPROTEIN-LIPASE ACTIVITY IN DEVELOPING RAT-BRAIN AREAS

Lipoprotein lipase (LPL) is a key extracellular enzyme that enables ti ssue to import fatty acids from triacylglyceride-rich lipoproteins. LP L is present in most tissues of the body, but in the brain its functio nal significance remains unclear. Lipids constitute the main component s of myelin and undergo significant changes during maturation. However , nothing is known of the postnatal evolution of LPL activity in the b rain areas during postnatal development. Here we found that LPL activi ty is relatively high in the newborn brain and peaks between the 5th a nd the 10th days after birth, reaching activities 5 times higher than in the adult brain. In all the areas studied (olfactory bulbs, cortex, thalamus, cerebellum, hippocampus, striatum, brain-stem and spinal co rd) LPL also increases sharply during postnatal development. Hippocamp us shows the highest LPL activity levels, which are between 5 and 11 t imes higher than in the other regions. The significance of these high LPL activity levels is discussed.