
[CHYL(E) + Greek mīkron, small thing, from neuter of mīkros, small.]
A lipoprotein formed from emulsified droplets of lipid that enter the lymph system from the intestine and transport fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K to the liver. A chylomicron is about 100 nm in diameter, and consists of a lipid core enveloped by protein, cholesterol, and phospholipid.
| chyle, chrysotherapy, chronobiochemistry | |
| chylomicron remnant, chymase, chyme |
A stable droplet containing principally triglyceride fat, but also cholesterol, phospholipids and protein; found in intestinal lymphatics (lacteals) and blood during and after meals.
Tiny lipoproteins of approximately 2% protein that convey dietary fat throughout the body.
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Chylomicrons are lipoprotein particles that consist of triglycerides (85-92%), phospholipids (6-12%), cholesterol (1-3%) and proteins (1-2%).[1] They transport dietary lipids from the intestines to other locations in the body. Chylomicrons are one of the five major groups of lipoproteins (chylomicrons, VLDL, IDL, LDL, HDL) that enable fats and cholesterol to move within the water-based solution of the bloodstream.
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Chylomicrons transport exogenous lipids to liver, adipose, cardiac, and skeletal muscle tissue, where their triglyceride components are unloaded by the activity of lipoprotein lipase. As a consequence, chylomicron remnants are left over and are taken up by the liver.
Chylomicrons are a type of lipoprotein produced in absorptive cells of small intestines, specifically, the epithelial cells within the villi of the duodenum.
There are three stages in the chylomicron's "life cycle":
Chylomicrons are created by the absorptive cells of the small intestine, known as enterocytes. They are relatively large, having a diameter of 75 to 1,200 nm. These nascent chylomicrons are released by exocytosis from enterocytes into lacteals, lymphatic vessels originating in the villi of the small intestine, and are then secreted into the bloodstream at the thoracic duct's connection with the left subclavian vein.
Nascent chylomicrons are primarily composed of triglycerides (85%) and contain some cholesterol and cholesteryl esters. The main apolipoprotein component is apolipoprotein B-48 (APOB48).
While circulating in lymph and blood, chylomicrons exchange components with high-density lipoproteins (HDL). The HDL donates apolipoprotein C-II (APOC2) and apolipoprotein E (APOE) to the nascent chylomicron and thus converts it to a mature chylomicron (often referred to simply as "chylomicron"). APOC2 is the cofactor for lipoprotein lipase (LPL) activity.
Once triglyceride stores are distributed, the chylomicron returns APOC2 to the HDL (but keeps APOE), and, thus, becomes a chylomicron remnant, now only 30–50 nm. APOB48 and APOE are important to identify the chylomicron remnant in the liver for endocytosis and breakdown.
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