title: Plasma cholesterol-lowering activity of dietary dihydrocholesterol in hypercholesterolemia hamsters.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Cholesterol analogs have been used to treat hypercholesterolemia. The present study was to examine the effect of dihydrocholesterol (DC) on plasma total cholesterol (TC) compared with that of β-sitosterol (SI) in hamsters fed a high cholesterol diet.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-five male hamsters were randomly divided into 6 groups, fed either a non-cholesterol diet (NCD) or one of five high-cholesterol diets without addition of DC and SI (HCD) or with addition of 0.2% DC (DA), 0.3% DC (DB), 0.2% SI (SA), and 0.3% SI (SB), respectively, for 6 weeks. Results showed that DC added into diet at a dose of 0.2% could reduce plasma TC by 21%, comparable to that of SI (19%). At a higher dose of 0.3%, DC reduced plasma TC by 15%, less effective than SI (32%). Both DC and SI could increase the excretion of fecal sterols, however, DC was more effective in increasing the excretion of neutral sterols but it was less effective in increasing the excretion of acidic sterols compared with SI. Results on the incorporation of sterols in micellar solutions clearly demonstrated both DC and SI could displace the cholesterol from micelles with the former being more effective than the latter.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  DC was equally effective in reducing plasma cholesterol as SI at a low dose. Plasma TC-lowering activity of DC was mediated by inhibiting the cholesterol absorption and increasing the fecal sterol excretion.
authors.affiliation: Food & Nutritional Sciences Programme, School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Xiaobo
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: R&D, Nestle, Beijing 100022, China.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Guan
authors.affiliation: R&D, Nestle, Beijing 100022, China.
authors.forename: Youyou
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Food & Nutritional Sciences Programme, School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lei
authors.affiliation: Food & Nutritional Sciences Programme, School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Yuwei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Food & Nutritional Sciences Programme, School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Ka Ying
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Food & Nutritional Sciences Programme, School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Lijun
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Food & Nutritional Sciences Programme, School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Sun Wa
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Man
authors.affiliation: R&D, Nestle, Beijing 100022, China.
authors.forename: Junkuan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: School of Biomedical Sciences, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Food & Nutritional Sciences Programme, School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong, China. Electronic address: zhenyuchen@cuhk.edu.hk.
authors.forename: Zhen-Yu
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D000821:Animal Feed / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001018:Aortic Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D001647:Bile Acids and Salts / Q000032:analysis; D004083:Cholestanol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood*; D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D006224:Cricetinae; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006938:Hyperlipoproteinemia Type II / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000178:diet therapy*; D007408:Intestinal Absorption / Q000187:drug effects*; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008074:Lipoproteins / Q000097:blood; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008647:Mesocricetus; D053858:Metabolic Networks and Pathways / Q000235:genetics; D008823:Micelles; D015394:Molecular Structure; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D058226:Plaque, Atherosclerotic / Q000473:pathology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D011897:Random Allocation; D012855:Sitosterols / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013261:Sterols / Q000032:analysis; D014781:Viscera / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; D001647:Bile Acids and Salts; D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary; D008055:Lipids; D008074:Lipoproteins; D008823:Micelles; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012855:Sitosterols; D013261:Sterols; C025473:gamma-sitosterol; D004083:Cholestanol; D002784:Cholesterol
keywords: 5α-cholestanol; Cholesterol; Sterol; β-sitosterol