Triglyceride-Rich Lipoproteins from Subjects with Type 2 Diabetes Do Not Demonstrate Increased Binding to Biglycan, a Vascular Proteoglycan

Retention of atherogenic apolipoprotein (apo) B- and E- containing lipoproteins by their interaction with arterial wall proteoglycans is important in atherogenesis. Levels of triglyceride (TG)-rich lipoproteins, which contain both apo B and apo E, are increased in type 2 diabetes. Because increased retention of TG-rich lipoproteins in diabetes might explain, in part, the increased atherosclerosis in this disorder, TG-rich lipoproteins were isolated from fasting type 2 diabetic subjects and age-matched controls, and assessed for their ability to bind biglycan, a vascular smooth muscle cell-derived proteoglycan. The binding of TG-rich lipoproteins isolated from diabetic subjects to purified biglycan did not differ from lipoproteins isolated from control subjects. Moreover, contrary to previous reports, no difference in the apo E content of TG-rich lipoproteins was detected between the control and diabetic groups. Additionally, no difference in the binding affinity of TG-rich lipoproteins for the low-density lipoprotein receptor was observed between control and diabetic subjects. Thus, we were unable to confirm previous reports that TG-rich lipoproteins from subjects with diabetes are enriched in apo E compared with age-matched controls, consistent with the lack of difference in binding of these lipoproteins to either biglycan or the low-density lipoprotein receptor. Therefore, increased affinity of TG-rich lipoproteins for biglycan is unlikely to explain the increased atherosclerosis in type 2 diabetes.