title: Effects of allyl mercaptan and various allium-derived compounds on cholesterol synthesis and secretion in Hep-G2 cells.
abstract: The present study was undertaken to compare the effects of allyl mercaptan (AM), a major metabolite of garlic, with several garlic constituents and extracts on cytotoxicity, cholesterol synthesis and its secretion in Hep-G2 cells. The cells were grown in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium (DMEM) supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS), and treated with 5, 25, 50, 125, 250 and 500 microg/ml of AM, diallyl disulfide (DD), diallyl trisulfide (DT), steam-distilled garlic oil (SD) or vinyl-dithiin oil of garlic (VD) for 4 h. At concentrations up to 50 microg/ml, no significant cytotoxic effect was found in any group, but at concentrations above 250 microg/ml, the cell viability decreased drastically in all groups compared to the control. The treatment of cells with 25 microg/ml (non-cytotoxic concentration) of AM, DD, DT, SD for 4 h significantly inhibited [3H]acetate incorporation into cholesterol compared to that of the control (P < 0.05). The secretion of cholesterol into the medium was also significantly decreased in all groups except for VD. The treatment of cells with those allium constituents had no effect on either [3H]acetate incorporation into fatty acids or [3H]glycerol incorporation into triglyceride or phospholipid.
authors.affiliation: Division of Nutritional Sciences, University of Illinois and Harlan E. Moore Heart Research Foundation, Champaign 61820, USA. b-cho@staff.uiuc.edu
authors.forename: B H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D000490:Allium; D000498:Allyl Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000378:metabolism; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005737:Garlic; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D000498:Allyl Compounds; D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds; D002784:Cholesterol; D005978:Glutathione