The effect of cholesterol absorption inhibition on low density lipoprotein cholesterol level.

The degree of serum cholesterol lowering by up to almost maximal inhibition of cholesterol absorption was tested during neomycin and neomycin + sitostanol treatment in six hypercholesterolemic men. Neomycin decreased cholesterol absorption efficiency by 49% and the combination by 79%, and serum cholesterol level by 27% and 36%, respectively. The correlation between the absorption percentage and low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol was significant (r = 0.510), and the regression equation (y = 0.04x + 2.59) suggested that the mean LDL cholesterol content would be about 2.5 mmol/l at zero cholesterol absorption. In conclusion, in hypercholesterolemic subjects, the lowering of LDL cholesterol appears to be limited to a low normal range only by almost totally inhibiting cholesterol absorption.