Equipment to assess the impact of nutrition on lipoprotein particle parameters

肠道对脂肪（脂质）的吸收导致脂肪在血流中作为称为脂蛋白的大分子被摄取、掺入和再分泌。脂蛋白颗粒作为洗涤剂，使从饮食中吸收的脂质（包括胆固醇和甘油三酯）可以在溶液中运输到血液中，并输送到组织中，被身体代谢。关于肠道对脂肪的吸收是如何调节的和/或饮食如何影响脂蛋白颗粒分泌到血液中的问题，我们知之甚少。脂蛋白颗粒的大小被认为在膳食胆固醇和甘油三酯的吸收过程中增加，然而这可能取决于摄入的脂质的类型和量。脂蛋白颗粒的电化学电荷也可以根据营养而变化。电荷和大小都是重要的特征，它们决定了这些颗粒被人体代谢的容易程度，以及它们如何参与与饮食有关的疾病（如心脏病）。在这项提案中，我们要求一种新的高灵敏度的仪器，可以提供准确和精确的测量脂蛋白颗粒的大小，电荷和质量。新仪器目前还没有与我们的研究环境，将大大提高许多研究生项目。分析测量对于不断了解营养对脂蛋白功能及其代谢的生理影响至关重要。

The absorption of fats (lipids) by the intestine results in the uptake, incorporation and re-secretion of fats in the blood stream as macromolecules called lipoproteins. Lipoprotein particles act as detergents so that lipids (including cholesterol and triglyceride) absorbed from the diet can be transported into the blood in solution and delivered to tissues and be metabolized by the body. There is very little known about how the absorption of fats by the intestine is regulated and/or how the diet can effect the production of lipoprotein particles being secreted into the blood. The size of lipoprotein particles is thought to increase during the absorption of dietary cholesterol and triglyceride, however this can vary depending on the type of and amount of lipids ingested. The electrochemical charge of lipoprotein particles may also vary with respect to nutrition. Both charge and size are important characteristics that define how readily these particles are metabolized by the body, and indeed how they may be involved in dietary-related diseases (such as heart disease). In this proposal we request a new highly sensitive instrument that can provide accurate and precise measurements on lipoprotein particle size, charge and mass. The new instrument is not currently available with our research environment and will greatly enhance numerous graduate student projects. The analytical measurements are critical to the ongoing understanding of the physiological impact of nutrition on the function of lipoproteins and their metabolism.