title: Casein-induced hypercholesterolaemia in rabbits is calcium-dependent.
abstract: Young male rabbits were fed semi-purified diets containing either casein or soy protein, both at a normal (0.84%, w/w) and a high (1.44%, w/w) level of dietary calcium. At the normal calcium level, casein, as compared with soy protein, increased the concentration in serum of total and free cholesterol and the ratio of free cholesterol to phospholipid. Also, casein increased the intestinal phosphate absorption and decreased the faecal fat excretion. The hypercholesterolaemic response of the rabbits on the casein diet was significantly correlated with both phosphate absorption (r = +0.744) and fat excretion (r = -0.701). The increased amount of dietary calcium inhibited the casein-specific effects on both the intestinal and the serum lipid parameters. In contrast, calcium did not change these parameters in rabbits fed the soy protein diet. These results support the hypothesis that the degree of phosphorylation of casein is involved in the mechanism of the casein-induced hypercholesterolaemia by means of its effect on the enterohepatic cycle of bile acids.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001647:Bile Acids and Salts / Q000378:metabolism; D002119:Calcium Carbonate / Q000494:pharmacology; D002130:Calcium Phosphates / Q000378:metabolism; D002136:Calcium, Dietary / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D002364:Caseins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004764:Enterohepatic Circulation / Q000187:drug effects; D005223:Fats / Q000378:metabolism; D005243:Feces / Q000032:analysis; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000209:etiology*; D007408:Intestinal Absorption / Q000187:drug effects; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D010710:Phosphates / Q000378:metabolism; D010748:Phosphopeptides / Q000378:metabolism; D011485:Protein Binding; D011817:Rabbits
chemical_list: D001647:Bile Acids and Salts; D002130:Calcium Phosphates; D002136:Calcium, Dietary; D002364:Caseins; D005223:Fats; D010710:Phosphates; D010748:Phosphopeptides; C485828:alpha-tricalcium phosphate; C485830:tetracalcium phosphate; C485838:calcium phosphate, monobasic, anhydrous; C020243:calcium phosphate; D002119:Calcium Carbonate; C485829:calcium phosphate, dibasic, anhydrous