title: Red yeast rice increases excretion of bile acids in hamsters.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the hypocholesterolemic activity of red yeast rice (RYR) and its underlying mechanism.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three groups of hamsters were fed either the control diet or one of the two experimental diets containing by weight 0.1% RYR (0.1RYR) or 0.3% RYR (0.3RYR). Blood (0.5 mL) was collected from the retro-orbital sinus into a heparinized capillary tube at the end of week 0, 3, and 6. Plasma lipoproteins were measured using enzymatic kits, while fecal neutral and acidic sterols were quantified using a gas-liquid chromatography.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Plasma total cholesterol was reduced by 12% in 0.1RYR group and by 18% in 0.3RYR group compared with the control value. Similarly, plasma triacylglycerol was decreased by 11% in 0.1RYR group and by 24% in 0.3RYR group. Western blotting analysis demonstrated that RYR had no effect on sterol regulatory element binding protein 2, liver X receptor, 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutary-CoA reductase, LDL receptor, and cholesterol-7alpha-hydroxylase. HPLC analysis confirmed that RYR contained 0.88% monacolin K. It was recently found that RYR supplementation increased excretion of fecal acidic sterols by 3-4 folds compared with the control value.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hypocholesterolemic activity of RYR is mediated at least partially by enhancement of acidic sterol excretion.
authors: Food and Nutritional Sciences Program, Department of Biochemistry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, China.
authors: Ka-Ying
authors: KY
authors: Ma
authors: Ze-Sheng
authors: ZS
authors: Zhang
authors: Shu-Xin
authors: SX
authors: Zhao
authors: Qi
authors: Q
authors: Chang
authors: Yin-Mei
authors: YM
authors: Wong
authors: Sai Ying Venus
authors: SY
authors: Yeung
authors: Yu
authors: Y
authors: Huang
authors: Zhen-Yu
authors: ZY
authors: Chen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001647:Bile Acids and Salts / Q000378:metabolism*; D001688:Biological Products / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000378:metabolism; D002790:Cholesterol 7-alpha-Hydroxylase / Q000378:metabolism; D006224:Cricetinae; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D006903:Hydroxymethylglutaryl CoA Reductases / Q000378:metabolism; D008074:Lipoproteins / Q000097:blood; D008099:Liver / Q000201:enzymology; D000071518:Liver X Receptors; D009281:Naphthalenes / Q000032:analysis; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D057093:Orphan Nuclear Receptors / Q000378:metabolism; D011973:Receptors, LDL / Q000378:metabolism; D051782:Sterol Regulatory Element Binding Protein 2 / Q000378:metabolism; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D001647:Bile Acids and Salts; D001688:Biological Products; D008074:Lipoproteins; D000071518:Liver X Receptors; D009281:Naphthalenes; D057093:Orphan Nuclear Receptors; D011973:Receptors, LDL; D051782:Sterol Regulatory Element Binding Protein 2; C117343:red yeast rice; D002784:Cholesterol; D006903:Hydroxymethylglutaryl CoA Reductases; D002790:Cholesterol 7-alpha-Hydroxylase