Anticholesteremic Agents/*pharmacology ; Cholesterol/blood ; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical/methods

Animals ; Anticholesteremic Agents ; pharmacology ; Cholesterol ; blood ; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical ; methods ; Male ; Rats

OBJECTIVETo compare the anti-hypercholesterolemic and cholesterol absorption inhibitory activities between total saponin of Dioscorea panthaica (TSDP) and diosgenin (Dio).

METHODTSDP and Dio were given ig or i.p. to mice or rats treated with cholesterol feed to evaluate their preventive and therapeutic effect on hypercholesterolemia. TSDP or Dio and cholesterol were mixed with pig bile to form the micelle, then the freeing cholesterol was detected to evaluate inhibitory effect of the both compounds on cholesterol absorption.

RESULTDio (80 and 160 mg.kg-1) showed significantly therapeutic and preventive effect on hypercholesterolemia in mice, while TSDP showed a certain preventive activity only at a big dose (400 mg.kg-1). The intraperitoneal injection of Dio (20 and 40 mg.kg-1) to mice suffered from hypercholesterolemia was effective, but TSDP showed no effective. The serum total cholesterol level was decreased when rats were pre-treated with TSDP (200 and 400 mg.kg-1, ig) and Dio (200 and 100 mg.kg-1, ig). However, the hypercholesterolemia-preventing activity of Dio was stronger than that of TSDP. In addition, inhibitory effect of Dio on cholesterol micelle formation was still stronger than that of TSDP.

CONCLUSIONThe preventive and therapeutic activity of Dio against hypercholesterolemia indused by cholesterol in mice or rats is stronger than that of TSDP. The anti-hypercholesterolemia mechanism of Dio is probably related with its cholesterol absorption inhibitory activity.

Animals ; Anticholesteremic Agents ; pharmacology ; Cholesterol ; blood ; Dioscorea ; chemistry ; Diosgenin ; pharmacology ; Female ; Hypercholesterolemia ; blood ; drug therapy ; Male ; Mice ; Phytotherapy ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Saponins ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of pravastatin on cholesteryl esters in foam cells of murine macrophages and the relation with caveolin-1. RAW 264.7 murine macrophages were coincubated with 80 mg/L oxidized low density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) and pravastatin (0~100 mumol/L) respectively for 24 h. When the best control concentration of pravastatin was confirmed, RAW 264.7 murine macrophages were coincubated with 80 mg/L ox-LDL and pravastatin of the best concentration respectively for 0, 6, 12, 24 h. Oil red O dyeing experiment was used to show the lipid droplets in foam cells. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis was performed to determine the content of cellular cholesterol. The level of caveolin-1 was determined by Western blot analysis. The result showed that when macrophages were incubated with 80 mg/L ox-LDL, the ratio of cellular cholesteryl ester to total cholesterol (CE/TC) was beyond 50% through HPLC analysis, and a great deal of lipid droplets displayed in cells through Oil red O dyeing experiment, which manifested the formation of the foam cells. Pravastatin could decrease CE in foam cells in a concentration-dependent manner (1~100 mumol/L). At the concentration of 100 mumol/L, pravastatin decreased cellular CE more than 50%. The effects of pravastatin on the decrease of CE in murine macrophages also displayed a time-dependent manner (incubated with 100 mumol/L pravastatin from 6 to 24 h). Moreover, the expression of caveolin-1 was decreased when the macrophages were incubated with ox-LDL (80 mg/L), while treatment with pravastatin increased the level of caveolin-1 and displayed a concentration- and time-dependent manner. These results suggest that pravastatin could inhibit the development of foam cells through the decrease of cellular CE, which may be related to the upregulation of caveolin-1.
Animals ; Anticholesteremic Agents ; pharmacology ; Caveolin 1 ; metabolism ; Cell Line ; Cells, Cultured ; Cholesterol Esters ; metabolism ; Foam Cells ; metabolism ; Lipoproteins, LDL ; pharmacology ; Macrophages ; cytology ; Pravastatin ; pharmacology ; Rats

OBJECTIVETo determine the effects of probucol on serum parameters and liver histopathology in rats with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and explore the mechanisms.

METHODSForty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned into 4 equal groups, namely the normal control group (NC group) with a standard feeding, high-fat diet group (HD group) fed with a high-fat diet, probucol (500 mg/kg daily) control group (NP group) fed with standard diet, and probucol group fed with a high-fat diet (HP group). After 15 weeks of feeding, the rats were euthanized for histopathological inspection of the liver with HE staining and detection of farnesoid X receptor (FXR), SHP and SREBP-1C expressions using semi-quantitative RT-PCR and Western blotting.

RESULTSAfter the 15-week feeding, the rats in HP group had significantly lower levels of serum ALT, AST, cholesterol, bile acid, and free fatty acid than those in HD group (P<0.01 or 0.05). Compared with the normal control group, high-fat diet feeding resulted in significantly decreased mRNA and protein levels of FXR and SHP (P<0.05) and significantly increased SREBP-1C level (P<0.05). These high-fat diet-induced gene expression changes were reversed by probucol intervention (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONProbucol treatment has beneficial effects on serum parameters, hepatic steatosis, and lobular inflammation in high-fat diet-induced NASH possibly by up-regulating FXR expression.

Animals ; Anticholesteremic Agents ; pharmacology ; Diet, High-Fat ; Disease Models, Animal ; Male ; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease ; blood ; drug therapy ; Probucol ; pharmacology ; RNA, Messenger ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Anticholesteremic Agents ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Hypoglycemic Agents ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Lactones ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Lettuce ; chemistry ; Molecular Structure ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Sesquiterpenes ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Triterpenes ; chemistry ; isolation & purification

To review the chemical, pharmacological, studies on ginger (Zingiber officinale) in the last ten years, and also its processing history and clinical uses. Gingerols and related compounds in ginger have many pharmacological activities. Chemical studies should be given sufficiently emphasis, and advances of the chemical study will promote the other related researches to develop in depth.
Animals ; Anticholesteremic Agents ; pharmacology ; Antiemetics ; pharmacology ; Catechols ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Fatty Alcohols ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Ginger ; chemistry ; Hot Temperature ; Humans ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors ; pharmacology ; Rhizome ; chemistry ; Technology, Pharmaceutical ; methods

beta-Glucan is a polysaccharide in the form of fiber and the main element of fiber in grains such as barley, oats, yeast and mushrooms. Many studies have examined the efficacy of beta-Glucan in terms of the lipid lowering effects, blood sugar reduction, weight reduction, immune modulator, and anticarcinogenic effect. However, there is no comprehensive review article on the biomedical issues regarding beta-Glucan. The authors searched for systematic reviews and clinical experiments for each relevant topic and reviewed the biomedical effects of beta-Glucan, for the purpose of developing research strategies for the future.
beta-Glucans/administration & dosage/*pharmacology/therapeutic use ; Neoplasms/drug therapy ; Infection/drug therapy ; Humans ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Dietary Supplements ; Dietary Fiber/administration & dosage/*pharmacology/therapeutic use ; Cholesterol/blood ; Body Weight/drug effects ; Blood Glucose/analysis ; Anticholesteremic Agents/pharmacology ; Animals

AIM: The current study was undertaken to assess anti-hyperlipidemic activity of Pistacia lentiscus fatty oil (PLFO) in rabbits following a hyperlipidemic diet. METHOD: Twenty healthy female (WNZ) rabbits were divided into four groups of five animals each: (a) normal control (NC group) receiving standard diet, (b) hyperlipidemic control (EY) group receiving standard diet and gavaged daily with egg yolk (10 mL), (c) hyperlipidemic + PLFO (EY + PLFO) group receiving as the EY group and treated daily with PLFO (2 mL/kg BW, (d) hyperlipidemic + simvastatin (EY + SVS) group receiving as the EY group and treated once daily with 2.5 mg/kg BW of simvastatin. At the end of the six-week experimental period, the lipidemic profiles of the different groups were investigated. RESULTS: In the EY group, the egg yolk resulted in a significant increase of total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), HDL-C, LDL-C, and the LDL-C/HDL-C ratio. Both the EY + PLFO and EY + SVS groups, when compared to the EY group, showed a significant decrease of TC, TG, LDL-C, and the LDL-C/HDL-C ratio. However, with respect to HDL-C the differences were not significant. The TGs were significantly lower (P < 0.001) in the simvastatin-treated group when compared to rabbits treated in the PLFO group. CONCLUSION The study concludes that P. lentiscus fatty oil (PLFO) possesses anti-hyperlipidemic properties at least in reducing total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and triglycerides.
Animals ; Anticholesteremic Agents ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Cholesterol ; blood ; Cholesterol, HDL ; blood ; Cholesterol, LDL ; blood ; Diet ; Egg Yolk ; Female ; Fruit ; Hyperlipidemias ; blood ; drug therapy ; etiology ; Lipids ; blood ; Phytotherapy ; Pistacia ; Plant Oils ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Rabbits ; Simvastatin ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Triglycerides ; blood

OBJECTIVETo evaluate whether taking atorvastatin for long time has positive effects on age-related renal impairment.

METHODS20-month-age normal female Wistar rats were divided into three groups (n = 9). First group were fed atorvastatin 10 mg/(kg x d). Second group were fed atorvastatin 1 mg/(kg x d). Third group were fed the same volume normal saline served as control. All the rats were sacrificed after four months. 3-month-age normal female Wistar rats (n = 9) also served as normal control. Kidney weight, serum creatinine (Scr) and blood-lipoids were measured. Paraffin sections of renal tissues were stained with PAS and Sirius red. Sclerosis index of glomerulus was calculated.

RESULTSRenal mass diminution was found in all the groups of aging rats. Scr was decreased in the group of aging rats with atorvastatin 1 mg/(kg x d). The level of blood-lipoids of aging rats was higher than that of young rats. The level of serum cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) were decreased in first group (both P < 0.05) and only LDL decreased in second group (P < 0.05). Morphological changes of aging kidney were focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, widen of mesangial region, infiltration of inflammatory cells and sclerosis of arteriole. The treatment of atorvastatin improved the pathologic changes in the aging rats significantly, especially in the first group.

CONCLUSIONTaking atorvastatin for long time can notably improve the pathological changes of aging kidney. All these effects may be induced by lowing of blood-lipoids, relieving the sclerosis of renal arteriole and reducing the infiltration of inflammatory cells.

Aging ; physiology ; Animals ; Anticholesteremic Agents ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; Arteriosclerosis ; pathology ; prevention & control ; Atorvastatin Calcium ; Female ; Heptanoic Acids ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; Kidney ; pathology ; Kidney Diseases ; prevention & control ; Pyrroles ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Renal Artery ; pathology