Xiaobo Wang1, Lei Guan2, Youyou Zhao2, Lin Lei1, Yuwei Liu1, Ka Ying Ma1, Lijun Wang1, Sun Wa Man1, Junkuan Wang2, Yu Huang3, Zhen-Yu Chen4. 1. Food & Nutritional Sciences Programme, School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong, China. 2. R&D, Nestle, Beijing 100022, China. 3. School of Biomedical Sciences, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong, China. 4. Food & Nutritional Sciences Programme, School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong, China. Electronic address: zhenyuchen@cuhk.edu.hk.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Cholesterol analogs have been used to treat hypercholesterolemia. The present study was to examine the effect of dihydrocholesterol (DC) on plasma total cholesterol (TC) compared with that of β-sitosterol (SI) in hamsters fed a high cholesterol diet. METHODS AND RESULTS: Forty-five male hamsters were randomly divided into 6 groups, fed either a non-cholesterol diet (NCD) or one of five high-cholesterol diets without addition of DC and SI (HCD) or with addition of 0.2% DC (DA), 0.3% DC (DB), 0.2% SI (SA), and 0.3% SI (SB), respectively, for 6 weeks. Results showed that DC added into diet at a dose of 0.2% could reduce plasma TC by 21%, comparable to that of SI (19%). At a higher dose of 0.3%, DC reduced plasma TC by 15%, less effective than SI (32%). Both DC and SI could increase the excretion of fecal sterols, however, DC was more effective in increasing the excretion of neutral sterols but it was less effective in increasing the excretion of acidic sterols compared with SI. Results on the incorporation of sterols in micellar solutions clearly demonstrated both DC and SI could displace the cholesterol from micelles with the former being more effective than the latter. CONCLUSION: DC was equally effective in reducing plasma cholesterol as SI at a low dose. Plasma TC-lowering activity of DC was mediated by inhibiting the cholesterol absorption and increasing the fecal sterol excretion.
OBJECTIVE:Cholesterol analogs have been used to treat hypercholesterolemia. The present study was to examine the effect of dihydrocholesterol (DC) on plasma total cholesterol (TC) compared with that of β-sitosterol (SI) in hamsters fed a high cholesterol diet. METHODS AND RESULTS: Forty-five male hamsters were randomly divided into 6 groups, fed either a non-cholesterol diet (NCD) or one of five high-cholesterol diets without addition of DC and SI (HCD) or with addition of 0.2% DC (DA), 0.3% DC (DB), 0.2% SI (SA), and 0.3% SI (SB), respectively, for 6 weeks. Results showed that DC added into diet at a dose of 0.2% could reduce plasma TC by 21%, comparable to that of SI (19%). At a higher dose of 0.3%, DC reduced plasma TC by 15%, less effective than SI (32%). Both DC and SI could increase the excretion of fecal sterols, however, DC was more effective in increasing the excretion of neutral sterols but it was less effective in increasing the excretion of acidic sterols compared with SI. Results on the incorporation of sterols in micellar solutions clearly demonstrated both DC and SI could displace the cholesterol from micelles with the former being more effective than the latter. CONCLUSION:DC was equally effective in reducing plasma cholesterol as SI at a low dose. Plasma TC-lowering activity of DC was mediated by inhibiting the cholesterol absorption and increasing the fecal sterol excretion.