Phytosterols dissolved in diacylglycerol oil reinforce the cholesterol-lowering effect of low-dose pravastatin treatment.
OBJECTIVE
Dietary therapy using phytosterols can reinforce statin treatment; however the value of a low-dose combination of those agents remains to be investigated. Plant sterols (PS), dissolved in diacylglycerol (DAG) oil, (PS/DAG) can be effective at a relatively low dose. The objective of the present study was to examine the effect of PS/DAG oil on blood cholesterol concentrations in hypercholesterolemic outpatients on low-dose pravastatin (10 mg/day).


RESULTS
The patients (n=61) were randomly assigned to one of three groups, who consumed TAG (control), DAG or PS/DAG oil. The average intake of PS from the PS/DAG oil during the test period was significantly higher than that for TAG and DAG oils (502 vs. 49 and 38 mg/day, P<0.05). Significant cholesterol-lowering effects from the baseline were observed in the case of the PS/DAG oil treatment alone. Changes in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol were inversely correlated with baseline serum campesterol concentrations (r=-0.560, P<0.05), but not baseline LDL cholesterol concentrations. In addition, serum apolipoprotein B concentrations were reduced to a greater extent in subjects with high versus low levels of baseline campesterol (-13.2 mg/dL vs. -3.1 mg/dL, P<0.05). Furthermore, there was a mild, but significant reduction in serum lipoprotein (a) concentration from the baseline (-5.9 mg/dL), which was correlated with the reduction in serum apolipoprotein B concentration (r=0.596, P<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
A low-dose combination of PS/DAG oil and pravastatin may be a useful strategy for further ameliorating blood cholesterol and lipoprotein (a) concentrations for hypercholesterolemic patients with a low response to pravastatin.
Takeshita
Masao
M
Health Care Food Research Laboratories, Kao Corporation, 2-1-3, Bunka, Sumida-ku, Tokyo 131-8501, Japan. takeshita.masao@kao.co.jp
Katsuragi
Yoshihisa
Y
Kusuhara
Masatoshi
M
Higashi
Kenji
K
Miyajima
Emiko
E
Mizuno
Kyoichi
K
Mori
Kenta
K
Obata
Tatsuo
T
Ohmori
Reiko
R
Ohsuzu
Fumitaka
F
Onodera
Yoshimitsu
Y
Sano
Junko
J
Sawada
Shojiro
S
Tabata
Shinji
S
Tokimitsu
Ichiro
I
Tomonobu
Kazuichi
K
Yamashita
Takeshi
T
Yasukawa
Takuji
T
Yonemura
Atsushi
A
Nakamura
Haruo
H
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood*; D004075:Diglycerides / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004357:Drug Synergism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017270:Lipoprotein(a) / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010840:Phytosterols / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017035:Pravastatin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012995:Solubility; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry
D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; D004075:Diglycerides; D017270:Lipoprotein(a); D010840:Phytosterols; D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol; D017035:Pravastatin