Overview

• Most common form in which lipid is stored.
• Synthesized in:
  • Intestinal mucosa (exogenous triglyceride) → carried to tissues as chylomicrons.
  • Liver (endogenous triglyceride) → carried to tissues as very low density lipoproteins (VLDL).
• Both forms hydrolyzed in capillary endothelium by lipoprotein lipase (LDL) and free fatty acids → taken into cells.
• LDL activity increased by insulin, glucagon and thyroid hormones → lipemia may indicate decreased activity of one of these hormones.
• Cloudy serum is caused by hypertriglyceridemia.

Sampling

Tests

Methodologies

• Spectrophotometric or enzymatic method: breaks down triglyceride and measures glycerol produced.

Availability

• Widely available.

Technique (intrinsic) limitations

• Results only significant when interpreted in conjunction with other laboratory results.

Result Data

Further Reading

Publications

Refereed papers

• Recent references from VetMedResource and PubMed.
• Chikamune T (1998) Lipoprotein profile in canine pancreatitis induced with oleic acid. J Vet Med Sci 60 (4), 413-421.
• Ford R B (1993) Ideopathic hyperchylomicronemia in Miniature Schnauzers. JSAP 39, 488.
• Watson T D & Barrie J. Lipoprotein metabolism and hyperlipidemia in the dog and cat. JSAP 34, 479 (Review).

Other sources of information

• Ettiger S J & Feldman E C (2000) Textbook of Veterinary Internal Medicine. 5th edn. Saunders and Co, USA.
• Kaneko J J, Harvey J W & Brass M L (eds) (1997) Clinical Biochemistry of Domestic Animals. 5th edn. Academic Press, USA.
• Duncan J R, Prasse K W & Mahaffey E A (1994) Veterinary Laboratory Medicine. Clinical Pathology. 3rd edn. Iowa University Press, USA.