ABSTRACT
In 1943 while studying postprandial lipaemia in dogs, Hahn (1943) first noted that injection of heparin led to the rapid clearance of chylomicrons from plasma. This was due to the release of two enzymes, lipoprotein lipase (LpL) and hepatic triglyceride lipase (HL) into the bloodstream. The post-heparin lipases regulate the plasma concentrations of the major classes of circulating lipoproteins and modulate the uptake of lipids into tissues. Moreover, a number of human lipid disorders are due to abnormalities of these enzymes. The regulation of these activities by pharmacological, hormonal, and genetic differences in humans and animals has been intensively studied in the last several decades.
