title: Effects of psyllium on plasma total and lipoprotein cholesterol and hepatic cholesterol in hamsters fed n-3 PUFA or n-6 PUFA with high cholesterol levels.
abstract: This study was conducted to determine whether psyllium is known to alter cholesterol metabolism modulate the hypercholesterolemic effect of a high cholesterol, n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) diet in hamsters. Concentrations of plasma, hepatic total cholesterol and lipoprotein cholesterol were measured in male hamsters fed an n-3 PUFA plus psyllium (8%, wt/wt) diet combined with variable levels of cholesterol (0, 0.05, 0.1%, wt/wt) or a cholesterol-enriched (0.2%, wt/wt) n-3 PUFA or n-6 PUFA diet that contained either 8% methyl cellulose or psyllium for 4 weeks. In the n-3 PUFA-fed hamsters, we have found that psyllium was able to reduce plasma total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol significantly when 0.1% cholesterol was added to the diet. In contrast, the effects of psyllium were not seen in the n-3 PUFA-fed hamsters without dietary cholesterol or with 0.05% dietary cholesterol. However, no matter in the presence of psyllium or not, the increase of plasma total cholesterol, very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL)-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol levels was depend on the content of dietary cholesterol. Although the cholesterol diet increased the liver total cholesterol level, 80 g psyllium/kg diet resulted in a significantly lower concentration of liver total cholesterol in the cholesterol-fed hamsters. In the second experiment, we have also found that psyllium feeding lowered significantly plasma total cholesterol and VLDL-cholesterol concentrations in hamsters fed n-3 PUFA but not in those fed n-6 PUFA. However, the levels of plasma total cholesterol, VLDL-cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol levels of the (n-6) PUFA-fed hamsters were significantly lower than those in the (n-3) PUFA-fed hamsters in the absence or presence of dietary psyllium. Our data also showed that hamsters fed both high-cholesterol n-3 PUFA and n-6 PUFA diets had a significant decrease in hepatic cholesterol with intake of psyllium. Liver total cholesterol concentrations were significantly lower in n-3 PUFA-fed hamsters compared with the n-6 PUFA-fed groups. Therefore, these data may contribute to understanding the interactive effect of psyllium and cholesterol or the type of fat on plasma and liver cholesterol in hamsters.
authors.affiliation: College of Liberal Education, Shu-Te University, Kaohsiung County, Tainan, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Young-Chau
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Shyun-Yeu
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Mei-Huei
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002400:Cathartics / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D015243:Cholesterol, VLDL / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D006224:Cricetinae; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism; D043371:Fatty Acids, Omega-6 / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism; D008074:Lipoproteins / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008647:Mesocricetus; D011620:Psyllium / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011897:Random Allocation
chemical_list: D002400:Cathartics; D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D015243:Cholesterol, VLDL; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D043371:Fatty Acids, Omega-6; D008074:Lipoproteins; D011620:Psyllium; D002784:Cholesterol