Prevention of hypercholesterolemia in monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) by digitonin.
Digitonin mixed in the diet was well tolerated by rats and cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis), and prevented the expected rise in plasma cholesterol in monkeys fed a diet containing butter and cholesterol. Both digitonin and mildly hydrolyzed digitonin precipitated cholesterol dispersed in micellar suspensions and decreased intestinal absorption of cholesterol in rats, but only digitonin bound cholesterol in vitro. The hypocholesterolemic effect of digitonin may be secondary to decreased intestinal absorption of cholesterol associated with a disturbance in the micellar suspension of cholesterol in the intestinal content. Modification of other mechanisms that may be involved in membrane transport of cholesterol through the intestinal epithelium is not ruled out by the present findings.
D000818:Animals; D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; D001774:Blood Chemical Analysis; D002079:Butter; D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary / Q000378:metabolism*; D004041:Dietary Fats; D004071:Digitalis Glycosides / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004072:Digitonin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D000882:Haplorhini; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007408:Intestinal Absorption / Q000187:drug effects; D008252:Macaca fascicularis; D008297:Male; D008823:Micelles; D051381:Rats
D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary; D004041:Dietary Fats; D004071:Digitalis Glycosides; D008823:Micelles; D002079:Butter; D004072:Digitonin