Home > Triglyceride

1 Chemical structure

The fatty acids are linked to the glycerol so as to form 3 ester functional groups:

CH₂COOR-CHCOOR'-CH₂-COOR"

where R, R', and R" are fatty acids; the three fatty acids can be all different, all the same, or only two the same.

R1-COOH + R2-OH <----> R-COO-R2 + H₂O

Chain lengths of triglycerides are 16 to 22 C atoms.

2 Metabolism

Triglycerides play an important role in metabolism as energy sources. They contain twice as much energy (8000 kcal/kg) as carbohydrates. In the intestine, triglycerides are split into glycerol and fatty acids (with the help of lipases and bile secretions), which can then move into blood vessels. The triglycerides are rebuilt in the blood from their fragments and become constituents of lipoproteins. Various tissues can release the free fatty acids and take them up as a source of energy. Fat cells can synthesize and store triglycerides. When the body requires fatty acids as an energy source, the hormone glucagonGlucagon is a 29 amino acid polypeptide acting as an important hormone in carbohydrate metabolism. The polypeptide has a molecular weight of 3485 daltons and was discovered in 1923 by Kimball and Murlin. Its primary structure is: :NH-His-Ser-Gln-Gly-Thr-P signals the breakdown of the triglycerides by hormone-sensitive lipase to release free fatty acids

3 Role in disease

See also the main article hypertriglyceridaemia

In the human body, high levels of triglycerides in the bloodstream have been linked to atherosclerosisAtherosclerosis is a disease of arterial blood vessels. Venous vessels are not involved unless surgically moved to function as an artery. Atherosclerosis is commonly referred to as a "hardening of blood vessels", but this is an over-simplification. Vascul, and, by extension, to the risk of heart diseaseIschaemic heart disease is a disease characterized by reduced blood supply to the heart. It is the most common cause of death in most western countries. Ischaemia means a "reduced blood supply". The coronary arteries supply blood to the heart muscle and n and stroke. However, the negative impact of raised levels of triglycerides is lower than that of LDL- cholesterolCholesterol is a steroid lipid, found in the cell membranes of all body tissues, and transported in the blood plasma, of all animals. Most cholesterol is produced internally, not dietary in origin. It is present in higher concentrations in tissues which e. The risk can be partly accounted for a strong inverse relationship between triglyceride level and HDL-cholesterol level.

Other diseases caused by high triglycerides include pancreatitisPancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas. There are two forms, which are different in causes and symptoms, and require different treatment: Acute pancreatitis Chronic pancreatitis Gastroenterology..