Research points way to new therapies for lowering triglycerides, cholesterol

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

Heparan sulfate in liver plays role in keeping fat levels in blood down, according to animal study.
Elevated cholesterol and triglycerides are known to be a risk factor for heart disease. The liver has molecules called LDL (low density lipoprotein) receptors which help clear cholesterol from the blood. New research from the University of California, San Diego, now highlights a sugar molecule in the liver, called heparan sulfate, which works alongside the LDL receptors to clear both cholesterol and triglycerides. The researchers think that some people with elevated triglycerides may have mutations in their heparan sulfate molecules, which makes them work less effectively.

The team created a mouse model with a mutation in heparan sulfate and this proved to have elevated triglycerides, as is also found in many patients with diabetes. The findings underline the role of heparan sulfate and suggest that mutations in the 40 or so genes which make heparan sulfate might be the underlying reason for elevated triglycerides in at least some cases. Further research on heparan sulfate could lead to new therapies aimed at normalizing this triglyceride and cholesterol clearing mechanism.

Source
Journal of Clinical Investigation 1st January 2007

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