Apolipoprotein D in Lipid Metabolism and Its Functional Implication in Atherosclerosis and Aging

Perdomo, German; Dong, H. Henry

In humans, plasma apoD levels range from 3 to 11 µmol/L. This level is equivalent to plasma levels (4.9±0.5 µmol/L) of apolipoprotein C-III (apoC-III), an important player in plasma triglyceride metabolism [8] [9] [10] [11] . However, plasma apoD levels are upregulated under certain pathophysiological conditions, such as in women with gross cystic disease [12] . ApoD levels are also elevated in the brain of subjects with chronic schizophrenia and in the prefrontal cortex of patients with Alzheimer disease [13] [14] [15] . Furthermore, treatment with antipsychotic drugs, expecially clozapine, also results in elevated apoD expression in rodent brains as well as in human plasma [13, 16, 17] . Increased apoD production is seen in the rat brain following traumatic brain injury [18] .