title: Dietary phytosterol does not accumulate in the arterial wall and prevents atherosclerosis of LDLr-KO mice.
abstract: METHODS
  There have been conflicting reports on the usefulness of phytosterols (PS) in preventing atherosclerosis. We evaluated the effects of dietary PS supplementation in LDLr-KO male mice on the plasma and aorta sterol concentrations and on atherosclerotic lesion development.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mice were fed a high fat diet (40% of energy) supplemented with or without PS (2% w/w, n = 10). Plasma and arterial wall cholesterol and PS concentrations, lesion area, macrophage infiltration, and mRNA expression from LOX-1, CD36, ABCA1 and ABCG1 in peritoneal macrophages were measured. After 16 weeks, the plasma cholesterol concentration in PS mice was lower than that in the controls (p = 0.02) and in the arterial wall (p = 0.03). Plasma PS concentrations were higher in PS-fed animals than in controls (p < 0.0001); however, the arterial wall PS concentration did not differ between groups. The atherosclerotic lesion area in the PS group (n = 5) was smaller than that in controls (p = 0.0062) and the macrophage area (p = 0.0007). PS correlates negatively with arterial lipid content and macrophage (r = -0.76; p < 0.05). PS supplementation induced lower ABCG1 mRNA expression (p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite inducing an increase in PS plasma concentration, PS supplementation is not associated with its accumulation in the arterial wall and prevents atherosclerotic lesion development.
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology and Metabolism Division, Faculty of Medical Sciences of the University of São Paulo, Lipids Laboratory, LIM10, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Renata P A
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Bombo
authors.forename: Milessa S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Afonso
authors.forename: Roberta M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Machado
authors.forename: Maria Silvia Ferrari
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Lavrador
authors.forename: Valéria S
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Nunes
authors.forename: Eder R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Quintão
authors.forename: Marcia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Koike
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Catanozi
authors.forename: Chin Jia
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Edna R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Nakandakare
authors.forename: Ana Maria
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Lottenberg
mesh_terms: D064286:ATP Binding Cassette Transporter 1 / Q000378:metabolism; D000070998:ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily G, Member 1; D018528:ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters / Q000378:metabolism; D000042:Absorption; D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta / Q000473:pathology; D001158:Arteries / Q000473:pathology*; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D001835:Body Weight; D018955:CD36 Antigens / Q000378:metabolism; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000378:metabolism; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008074:Lipoproteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008264:Macrophages / Q000378:metabolism; D017737:Macrophages, Peritoneal / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D010840:Phytosterols / Q000097:blood / Q000737:chemistry*; D011973:Receptors, LDL / Q000235:genetics*; D051127:Scavenger Receptors, Class E / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D064286:ATP Binding Cassette Transporter 1; D000070998:ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily G, Member 1; D018528:ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters; D018955:CD36 Antigens; D002784:Cholesterol; D008055:Lipids; D008074:Lipoproteins; D010840:Phytosterols; D011973:Receptors, LDL; D051127:Scavenger Receptors, Class E; C577833:Abca1 protein, mouse; C487540:ABCG1 protein, mouse; C495138:Olr1 protein, mouse
keywords: Atherosclerosis; Cholesterol absorption; Diet; LDLr-KO mice; Phytosterol