Difference in Metabolism of Very Low Density Lipoprotein from Laying Chicken Hens in Comparison to Immature Chicken Hens

Lipoproteins of d<1.006 (VLDL) were labeled in vivo by injecting palmitate-1-1 4 C into force-fed immature female or laying female chickens. The labeled VLDL’s were injected into laying, force-fed, or ad libitum-fed immature female chickens. Radioactivity recovered in the carcass was 94, 71, and 37% with VLDL from the force-fed immature female, and 69, 68, and 25 percent with VLDL from the laying female in the force-fed immature, ad libitum-fed immature, and laying females, respectively. Radioactivity recovered in the livers was 4, 11, and 20% with VLDL from the laying female in the force-fed immature, ad libitum-fed immature, and laying females, respectively. Radioactivity recovered in ovarian follicles of laying females was 12% with VLDL from the force-fed immature and 30% with VLDL from the laying female. Fractional turnover rates of plasma neutral lipid (NL) were .148 (force-fed immature female); .187 (ad libitum-fed immature female), and .165 and .00455 (laying female) min−1 with VLDL from the force-fed immature female. In contrast, with VLDL from the laying female, the fractional turnover rates were .0381, .0376, and .00546 min−1, respectively. Total turnover of plasma VLDL-NL in chickens injected with VLDL from the force-fed immature female were 42 (force-fed immature female), 49 (ad libitum-fed immature female), and 286 and 7.1 (laying female) g/day. In those injected with VLDL from the laying female, turnover rates were 18.1, 11.8, and 9.8 g/day, respectively. It was concluded that VLDL’s from a laying female were metabolized differently than those from a force-fed immature female.