Effect of ascofuranone on serum lipids of rats fed a cholesterol rich diet.
Ascofuranone, a fungal metabolite, significantly reduced serum lipid levels, when orally administered to male Wistar rats fed a cholesterol rich diet. The treatment also resulted in a marked reduction of hepatic and cardiac cholesterol contents without affecting the body weight gain. The serum albumin/globulin ratio increased significantly in the treated rats. This increase is presumably due to the decrease of beta-lipoprotein. The mode of action differentiates from clofibrate in so far as the former effectively prevents hepatic and cardiac cholesterol deposits in the cholesterol feeding rats.
D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary; D002994:Clofibrate / Q000494:pharmacology; D004036:Diet, Atherogenic; D005663:Furans / Q000494:pharmacology; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood*; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism; D010636:Phenols / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D012717:Sesquiterpenes / Q000494:pharmacology*
D001798:Blood Proteins; D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary; D005663:Furans; D008055:Lipids; D010636:Phenols; D012717:Sesquiterpenes; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D002994:Clofibrate