Elevated lipoprotein lipase activity in skeletal muscle tissue during treatment of hypertriglyceridaemic patients with bezafibrate.

Eleven hypertriglyceridaemic patients were treated with 600 mg bezafibrate daily for 2 months. The mean serum triglyceride concentration decreased by 35% (P less than 0.01) corresponding to a reduction in the very low density lipoprotein triglycerides by 41% (P less than 0.01). The high density lipoprotein cholesterol concentration and the serum concentration of apolipoproteins AI and AII increased by 19% (P less than 0.02), 11% (N.S., P less than 0.08) and 24% (P less than 0.01), respectively. The fractional removal rate (K2) in the intravenous fat tolerance test (IVFTT) increased by 37% (P less than 0.001). This was associated with significant increase of the skeletal muscle lipoprotein lipase activity ( + 39%, P less than 0.05). The mean value for the adipose tissue lipoprotein lipase activity remained unchanged. The K2 at IVFTT was correlated highly significantly to the activity of skeletal muscle lipoprotein lipase (r = 0.85, P less than 0.01). The present study indicates that the main reason for the reduction of the serum triglycerides during treatment with bezafibrate may be an increased activity of the skeletal muscle tissue lipoprotein lipase activity.