title: Phytosterol-mediated inhibition of intestinal cholesterol absorption in mice is independent of liver X receptor.
abstract: Previous studies have proposed that phytosterols activate liver X receptors (LXR) in the intestine, thereby reducing intestinal cholesterol absorption and promoting fecal cholesterol excretion.
  
  
  
  In the present study, we examined the effects of dietary phytosterol supplementation on intestinal cholesterol absorption and fecal neutral sterol excretion in LXRαβ-deficient mice, and wild-type mice treated with synthetic high-affinity LXRαβ agonists. LXRαβ deficiency led to an induction of intestinal cholesterol absorption and liver cholesterol accumulation. Phytosterol feeding resulted in an approximately 40% reduction of intestinal cholesterol absorption both in wild-type and LXRαβ-deficient mice, reduced dietary cholesterol accumulation in liver and promoted the excretion of fecal cholesterol-derived compounds. Furthermore, phytosterols produced additive inhibitory effects on cholesterol absorption in mice treated with LXRαβ agonists.
  
  
  
  Our data confirm the effect of LXR in regulating intestinal cholesterol absorption and demonstrate that the cholesterol-lowering effects of phytosterols occur in an LXR-independent manner.
authors.affiliation: Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques (IIB) Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain.|CIBER de Diabetes y Enfermedades Metabólicas Asociadas, CIBERDEM, Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain.
authors.forename: Lídia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cedó
authors.affiliation: Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques (IIB) Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain.|CIBER de Diabetes y Enfermedades Metabólicas Asociadas, CIBERDEM, Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.affiliation: Food Technology Department, UTPV-XaRTA, Agrotecnio Center, University of Lleida, Lleida, Spain.
authors.forename: Iziar A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Ludwig
authors.affiliation: Wihuri Research Institute, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Reija
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Silvennoinen
authors.affiliation: Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques (IIB) Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain.|Departament de Bioquímica, Biología Molecular i Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Annabel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: García-León
authors.affiliation: University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Central Hospital, Department of Internal Medicine, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Leena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kaipiainen
authors.affiliation: Department of Cellular Biology, Physiology and Immunology, School of Biology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: José M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Carbó
authors.affiliation: Department of Cellular Biology, Physiology and Immunology, School of Biology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Annabel F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Valledor
authors.affiliation: University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Central Hospital, Department of Internal Medicine, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Helena
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gylling
authors.affiliation: Food Technology Department, UTPV-XaRTA, Agrotecnio Center, University of Lleida, Lleida, Spain.
authors.forename: Maria-José
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Motilva
authors.affiliation: Wihuri Research Institute, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Petri T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Kovanen
authors.affiliation: Wihuri Research Institute, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Miriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lee-Rueckert
authors.affiliation: Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques (IIB) Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain.|CIBER de Diabetes y Enfermedades Metabólicas Asociadas, CIBERDEM, Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain.|Departament de Bioquímica, Biología Molecular i Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Blanco-Vaca
authors.affiliation: Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques (IIB) Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain.|CIBER de Diabetes y Enfermedades Metabólicas Asociadas, CIBERDEM, Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain.|Departament de Bioquímica, Biología Molecular i Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Joan Carles
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Escolà-Gil
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000378:metabolism*; D007408:Intestinal Absorption / Q000187:drug effects*; D000071518:Liver X Receptors / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D010840:Phytosterols / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000071518:Liver X Receptors; D010840:Phytosterols; D002784:Cholesterol
keywords: Cholesterol; Intestine; Liver X receptor; Mice; Phytosterols