title: Pioglitazone hydrochloride inhibits cholesterol absorption and lowers plasma cholesterol concentrations in cholesterol-fed rats.
abstract: Diabetes is associated with altered cholesterol metabolism that may contribute to cardiovascular complications. Treatment of rats with pioglitazone hydrochloride, a novel antidiabetic compound that improves the general response of target cells to insulin, significantly lowered cholesterol levels in rats fed a hypercholesterolemic diet and produced a significant reduction in cholesterol absorption. Drug treatment was ineffective in rats that were not given dietary cholesterol. To determine whether these effects of pioglitazone hydrochloride might be related to the known ability of this compound to improve the response to circulating insulin, similar studies were conducted in streptozocin-induced diabetic rats with and without insulin replacement. Diabetic rats absorbed a greater percentage of dietary cholesterol than control rats. Treatment of insulin-deficient diabetic rats with pioglitazone alone did not affect cholesterol absorption; however, the combination of insulin and pioglitazone was synergistic to lower absorption of cholesterol and circulating cholesterol and triglycerides. Treatment of either normal rats or diabetic rats receiving insulin with pioglitazone hydrochloride produced a twofold decrease in the ratio of total cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. These results suggest that treatments that improve insulin sensitivity may also have a positive impact on coronary artery disease associated with diabetes.
authors.affiliation: Upjohn Company, Kalamazoo, Michigan 49001.
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Colca
authors.forename: C F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Dailey
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Palazuk
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Hillman
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Dinh
authors.forename: G W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Melchior
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Spilman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary / Q000378:metabolism*; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism*; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007328:Insulin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007408:Intestinal Absorption / Q000187:drug effects*; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000201:enzymology*; D008297:Male; D008861:Microsomes / Q000201:enzymology; D009245:NADH Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D000077205:Pioglitazone; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012016:Reference Values; D002785:Sterol O-Acyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism; D013844:Thiazoles / Q000494:pharmacology*; D045162:Thiazolidinediones
chemical_list: D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D007328:Insulin; D013844:Thiazoles; D045162:Thiazolidinediones; D002784:Cholesterol; D009245:NADH Dehydrogenase; D002785:Sterol O-Acyltransferase; D000077205:Pioglitazone