title: Lovastatin inhibits gallstone formation in the cholesterol-fed prairie dog.
abstract: The efficacy of lovastatin, an inhibitor of hepatic cholesterol synthesis in the prevention of cholesterol gallstone formation, was evaluated in the prairie dog model. Two groups of animals were maintained on either nonlithogenic or 1.2% cholesterol-enriched chow for 21 days. Seven of the animals in each group received lovastatin, and the remaining six received only distilled water. All of the cholesterol-fed/water-treated animals had crystals and 83% had gallstones, but none of the cholesterol-fed/lovastatin-treated animals had gallstones and only three had microscopic crystals. These data indicate that lovastatin inhibits cholesterol gallstone formation in a diet-induced model of gallstone disease.
authors.affiliation: Research and Surgical Services, Sepulveda Veterans Administration Medical Center, California.
authors.forename: K D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Saunders
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Cates
authors.forename: M Z
authors.initials: MZ
authors.lastname: Abedin
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rege
authors.forename: S F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Festekdjian
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Howard
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Roslyn
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001646:Bile / Q000378:metabolism; D002769:Cholelithiasis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000737:chemistry / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000032:analysis; D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary / Q000009:adverse effects; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D005704:Gallbladder / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008148:Lovastatin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D012589:Sciuridae
chemical_list: D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D002784:Cholesterol; D008148:Lovastatin