Hepatic lipase (HL) functions as a lipolytic enzyme that hydrolyzes triglycerides and phospholipids present in circulating plasma\nlipoproteins. Plasma HL activity is known to be regulated by hormonal and metabolic factors, but HL responsiveness to insulin\nas well as its role in modulating atherosclerotic risk is still controversial. We investigated on the influence of a known\npolymorphism in the neurotransmitter neuropeptide Y (NPY) on HL activity in two different cohorts consisting of diabetic and\nnondiabetic patients. HL activity was 24% and 34% higher on nondiabetic and diabetic subjects in the presence of the 7Pro\nallele in NPY, respectively. The presence of the 7Pro allele was an independent predictor of HL activity in multivariate analyses\nin both cohorts. These data suggest a regulatory effect of NPY on HL activity. Among carriers of the 7Pro allele, we also found a\nstatistically significant lower absolute number of infarctions compared to noncarriers (p < 0 05) and a nonsignificant trend\ntowards less myocardial infarction in the 7Pro allele diabetic carriers (p = 0 085). In conclusion, the common 7Pro allele in NPY\nwas associated with higher HL activity in nondiabetic and diabetic subjects and its presence seems to coincide with a lower\nfrequency of certain cardiovascular events.
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