title: Medium-chain fatty acids enhanced the excretion of fecal cholesterol and cholic acid in C57BL/6J mice fed a cholesterol-rich diet.
abstract: The objective of the present study was to investigate the cholesterol-reducing effect of medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) completed by elevated excretion of fecal neutral steroids and/or bile acids. Blood and liver lipid profiles, fecal neutral steroids, bile acids, and mRNA and protein expression of the genes relevant to cholesterol homeostasis were measured and analyzed in C57BL/6J mice fed a cholesterol-rich diet with 2% caprylic acid or capric acid for 12 weeks. Blood total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) levels were reduced significantly as compared to diet with palmitic acid or stearic acid. Caprylic acid promoted the excretion of fecal neutral steroids, especially cholesterol. The excretion of fecal bile acids, mainly in the form of cholic acid was enhanced and accompanied by elevated expression of mRNA and the protein of hepatic cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase (CYP7A1). These results indicate that MCFAs can reduce blood cholesterol by promoting the excretion of fecal cholesterol and cholic acid.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Hygiene and Environmental Medicine, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Tianjin 300050, China.
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Changyong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yinghua
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xiaoming
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Xinsheng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Rongxin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xueyan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Changjiang
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Guo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D002790:Cholesterol 7-alpha-Hydroxylase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D019826:Cholic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D059305:Diet, High-Fat; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005243:Feces; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic / Q000187:drug effects; D006903:Hydroxymethylglutaryl CoA Reductases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids; D002784:Cholesterol; D006903:Hydroxymethylglutaryl CoA Reductases; D002790:Cholesterol 7-alpha-Hydroxylase; C502772:Cyp7a1 protein, mouse; D019826:Cholic Acid