Endothelial binding sites for lipoprotein lipase are not diminished in perfused hearts from diabetic rats

The possibility that diabetes reduces functional, heparin-releasable lipoprotein lipase (HR-LPL) activity on the coronary vasculature of perfused hearts by altering endothelial binding sites for the enzyme was examined by measuring the binding and subsequent heparin-induced release of exogenous lipoprotein lipase purified from bovine milk (mLPL). Rat hearts were first perfused with heparin (5 U/mL) for 5 min to displace endogenous HR-LPL into the perfusate. The subsequent perfusion of control hearts with 0.05-2 micrograms/mL mLPL resulted in a progressive increase in bound exogenous enzyme that could be released by a second heparin perfusion. Induction of an acute, insulin-deficient model of diabetes (100 mg/kg streptozotocin 4-5 days prior to heart perfusions) reduced endogenous HR-LPL activity, but the binding and heparin-induced release of mLPL (0.5 microgram/mL) were the same as measured in control hearts. Therefore, diabetes does not alter low-affinity, high-capacity proteoglycan binding sites for mLPL on the endothelium of perfused hearts.