Adipophilin在动脉粥样硬化病变和脂质负荷细胞中的作用研究(英)

Adipophilin是细胞内脂质聚集和与脂质聚集有关疾病的标志物,巨噬细胞源性泡沫细胞的形成是动脉粥样硬化性疾病发生的重要环节.为了探讨adipophilin在动脉粥样硬化性疾病的作用,通过高胆固醇饲料喂养新西兰白兔12周,复制动脉粥样硬化疾病模型,同时测定血脂的变化和动脉壁胆固醇,使用HE染色、苏丹Ⅳ染色观察动脉粥样硬化病变的形成,使用免疫组织化学的方法观察动脉粥样硬化病变处和动物肝脏中adipophilin的表达.结果发现,高胆固醇饲料喂养组血清总胆固醇、低密度脂蛋白胆固醇和动脉壁胆固醇明显增高,动脉粥样硬化病变面积增加到(40.06±7.29)%,动脉粥样硬化病变处adipophilin表达呈阳性;而adipophilin在肝脏中的表达无论是高胆固醇饲料喂养组或对照组均为阴性.使用80 mg/L OxLDL与小鼠腹膜巨噬细胞共孵育,复制脂质负荷细胞,然后把构建的1 mmol/L adipophilin反义寡核苷酸与该细胞共孵育.结果发现,使用油红O染色观察的细胞内脂滴明显减少,生化测定细胞内胆固醇酯显著降低,与对照组相比,差别有显著性.说明adipophilin与动脉粥样硬化病变有密切的关系,控制adipophilin的表达能够减少巨噬细胞细胞内胆固醇酯的聚集.     

酯酰-胆固醇酯酰转移酶亚型与动脉粥样硬化

巨噬细胞或者平滑肌细胞聚集,吞噬脂质后形成泡沫化细胞是动脉粥样硬化病变的一个起始环节.酯酰-胆固醇酯酰转移酶(ACAT)是细胞内唯一催化胆固醇酯化的酶,存在ACAT1和ACAT2两种亚型.本文就其两种亚型在动脉粥样硬化中的作用及其调控因素作一综述.     

蛋白激酶C活性变化对Adipophilin介导THP-1巨噬细胞脂质蓄积的影响

以THP-1巨噬细胞为研究对象,观察蛋白激酶C(PKC)激动剂佛波酯(PMA)和抑制剂钙磷酸结合蛋白C(CalphostinC)对胞膜PKC活性、胞膜PKCα及胞浆内过氧化物酶体增殖物激活受体(PPARγ)和adipophilin表达以及细胞内脂质蓄积的影响,初步探讨PKC调控adipophilin表达及脂质蓄积的作用机制.采用PepTagRAssay、RT-PCR、蛋白质印迹、油红O染色和高效液相色谱法,观察到100nmol/LPMA在激活胞膜PKC((0.2514±0.0154)U/ml)的同时可以与氧化低密度脂蛋白(oxLDL)协同增强PKCα、PPARγ和adipophilin表达并使细胞内脂滴的蓄积极大地增强.细胞内胆固醇酯/总胆固醇比值增至(69.8±9.5)%;300nmol/L CalphostinC对荷脂THP-1巨噬细胞的处理则抑制酶活性至((0.0927±0.0056)U/ml,细胞内脂滴减少,胆固醇酯/总胆固醇比值降至(40.1±9.1)%;CalphostinC呈剂量依赖性的方式下调酶活性、PKCα、PPARγ和adipophilin表达,400nmol/LCalphostinC基本上可以逆转50mg/LoxLDL诱导的酶活化和PKCα、PPARγ和adipophilin表达的上调.结果提示,蛋白激酶C活性的改变可以影响adipophilin介导的脂质蓄积,其中PPARγ可能在这一调控机制中发挥了重要作用.     

反义adipophilin寡核苷酸降低ACAT活性(英)

已经发现,随着细胞内胆固醇酯的积聚,adipophilin的表达明显增加.在此基础上,为了寻找adipophilin在细胞内胆固醇代谢的作用点.小鼠腹腔巨噬细胞与80 mg/L OxLDL或80 mg/L OxLDL加1 mmol/L adipophilin反义寡核苷酸共孵育,在不同的时间点取样,使用免疫荧光染色,流式细胞仪分析和细胞内胆固醇测定.结果显示,72 h后,反义寡核苷酸处理组细胞内胆固醇酯显著下降到（19.9±1.9）mg/g,油红O染色显示,该组细胞质内红色脂滴明显减少.96 h的观察期间内,两组细胞adipophilin蛋白的表达量都增加.从12 h开始,未用反义寡核苷酸处理组adipophilin蛋白的表达量开始大于反义寡核苷酸处理组.在96 h时间点,统计学处理,未用反义寡核苷酸处理组明显高于反义寡核苷酸处理组,差别有显著性.使用Ox-r［CL-³H］LDL观察两组细胞摄入OxLDL的量,实验发现,两组细胞摄入Ox-r［CL-³H］LDL的量逐渐增加.但是,反义寡核苷酸处理组摄入Ox-r［CL-³H］LDL的量从24 h后明显低于未用反义寡核苷酸处理组,在48 h和96 h时间点,统计学处理,两组差别有显著性.观察ACAT的活性发现,ACAT相对活性从6 h到48 h表现为增加,但从48 h到96 h,ACAT相对活性趋于稳定.在48 h时间点,两组比较差别有显著性,反义寡核苷酸处理组的活性明显低于未用反义寡核苷酸处理组.相关分析发现,ACAT的活性与adipophilin蛋白的表达量有一定的联系,但不是直线相关.结果表明,adipophilin表达的高低与细胞摄入外源性脂蛋白,与ACAT的活性有一定的联系.提示adipophilin与脂滴的代谢功能密切相关,且ACAT有可能是其潜在的位点.     

肺炎衣原体抑制LXRα-ABCA1途径促进巨噬细胞脂质蓄积

为探讨肝X受体α(LXRα)-三磷酸腺苷结合盒转运体A1(ABCA1)途径在肺炎衣原体(C.pneumoniae)促巨噬细胞脂质蓄积中的作用和机制,以THP-1巨噬细胞源性泡沫细胞为模型,采用高效液相色谱分析细胞内总胆固醇、游离胆固醇和胆固醇酯含量,液体闪烁计数器检测细胞内胆固醇流出,RT-PCR检测ABCA1和LXRαm RNA的表达,蛋白质印迹检测ABCA1和LXRα的蛋白质表达;使用LXRα的特异性激动剂T0901317对细胞进行预处理,再观察上述指标的变化.结果显示,C.pneumoniae可促进THP-1巨噬细胞源性泡沫细胞内总胆固醇、游离胆固醇和胆固醇酯含量增加,抑制胆固醇外流,降低细胞ABCA1和LXRα的表达;使用ABCA1激动剂8-溴-环磷酸腺苷预处理细胞或LXR激动剂T0901317预处理细胞后,可明显减弱C.pneumoniae对THP-1细胞ABCA1的表达抑制,促进细胞胆固醇流出,降低细胞内胆固醇的含量.结果提示,C.pneumoniae促进巨噬细胞脂质蓄积及胆固醇流出障碍,其机制可能与LXRα-ABCA1途径有关.     

干扰素-γ对THP-1巨噬细胞源性泡沫细胞胆固醇流出和ABCA1表达的影响

以THP-1巨噬细胞源性泡沫细胞为研究对象,观察干扰素-γ(IFN-γ)对THP-1巨噬细胞源性泡沫细胞胆固醇流出和三磷酸腺苷结合盒转运体A1(ABCA1)表达的影响.以便探讨IFN-γ在动脉粥样硬化发生发展中的作用.采用液体闪烁计数器检测细胞内胆固醇流出, 高效液相色谱分析细胞内总胆固醇、游离胆固醇和胆固醇酯含量.运用逆转录-多聚酶链反应和蛋白质印迹分别检测ABCA1 mRNA与ABCA1蛋白质的表达, 采用流式细胞术检测细胞平均ABCA1荧光强度.发现IFN-γ引起THP-1巨噬细胞源性泡沫细胞总胆固醇、游离胆固醇与胆固醇酯呈时间依赖性增加, 而ABCA1 mRNA和蛋白质表达、细胞平均ABCA1荧光强度以及apoA-1介导的胆固醇流出呈时间依赖性减少, 细胞内胆固醇增多.结果表明IFN-γ抑制THP-1巨噬细胞源性泡沫细胞ABCA1表达及细胞内胆固醇流出,同时增加细胞内胆固醇聚积.     

氧化低密度脂蛋白诱导主动脉平滑肌细胞胆固醇酯聚集和凋亡(英)

细胞内胆固醇代谢的失衡和细胞凋亡都与动脉粥样硬化的发生有关.为了研究两者之间的关系,我们把猪的主动脉平滑肌细胞与15 mg／L氧化低密度脂蛋白共同孵育72 h,发现细胞内胆固醇酯与总胆固醇的比值由26.2%增加到64.1%,并且细胞内胆固醇酯的积聚有剂量依赖关系,表明细胞已经转化为平滑肌源性的泡沫细胞.另外,使用荧光显微镜、激光共聚焦显微镜和流式细胞仪分别发现,与氧化低密度脂蛋白共孵育的细胞有典型的凋亡形态改变.从实验可以推测,由氧化低密度脂蛋白诱导的平滑肌细胞凋亡,除了低密度脂蛋白氧化的因素外,也可能与细胞内胆固醇酯与总胆固醇的比值升高有关.     

研究: 肺炎衣原体抑制LXRα-ABCA1途径促进巨噬细胞脂质蓄积

为探讨肝X受体α (LXRα)-三磷酸腺苷结合盒转运体A1 (ABCA1)途径在肺炎衣原体 (C. pneumoniae)促巨噬细胞脂质蓄积中的作用和机制,以THP-1巨噬细胞源性泡沫细胞为模型,采用高效液相色谱分析细胞内总胆固醇、游离胆固醇和胆固醇酯含量,液体闪烁计数器检测细胞内胆固醇流出,RT-PCR检测ABCA1和LXRα mRNA的表达,蛋白质印迹检测ABCA1和LXRα的蛋白质表达;使用LXRα的特异性激动剂T0901317对细胞进行预处理,再观察上述指标的变化．结果显示,C. pneumoniae可促进THP-1巨噬细胞源性泡沫细胞内总胆固醇、游离胆固醇和胆固醇酯含量增加,抑制胆固醇外流,降低细胞ABCA1和LXRα的表达;使用ABCA1激动剂8-溴-环磷酸腺苷预处理细胞或LXR激动剂T0901317预处理细胞后,可明显减弱C. pneumoniae对THP-1细胞ABCA1的表达抑制,促进细胞胆固醇流出,降低细胞内胆固醇的含量．结果提示,C. pneumoniae促进巨噬细胞脂质蓄积及胆固醇流出障碍,其机制可能与LXRα-ABCA1途径有关．     

高表达和敲减adipophilin对细胞内ERK1/2活性、PPARγ表达和细胞内脂质蓄积的影响

本课题组以前的研究表明,adipophilin通过ERK1/2-PPARγ信号转导通路促进细胞内的脂质蓄积.为了研究高表达和敲减adipophilin是否影响RAW264.7细胞内ERK1/2的活性、PPARγ的表达以及细胞内的脂质蓄积,从而进一步证实这一通路,阐明adipophilin促进泡沫细胞形成的机制.重组pQCXIP-HA-Adipophilin和pSuper-retro-adipophilin siRNA逆转录病毒载体经酶切检测证实,并用SofastTM介导转染到包装细胞PA317中,经培养后释放逆转录病毒.将收集的逆转录病毒感染RAW264.7细胞,经嘌呤霉素筛选后获得稳定高表达和敲减adipophilin的细胞系.用50 mg/L的氧化低密度脂蛋白处理细胞24 h后,用油红O染色法和高效液相色谱法测定细胞内的脂质蓄积情况,用半定量RT-PCR和蛋白质印迹分别检测adipophilin和PPARγ的mRNA和蛋白质的表达,用蛋白质印迹对与动脉粥样硬化发病有关的ERK1/2及其磷酸化进行检测.酶切结果表明,pQCXIP-HA-Adipophilin和pSuper-retro-adipophilin siRNA重组逆转录病毒载体构建成功.在荷脂情况下,pQCXIP-HA-Adipophilin转染的细胞能明显增加细胞内的脂质蓄积,但使PPARγ的表达和ERK1/2的磷酸化下调,这些作用可被adipophilin siRNA逆转.结果表明,adipophilin与泡沫细胞的形成有关,adipophilin可能是通过ERK1/2-PPARγ途径促进细胞内的脂质蓄积.     

NADPH氧化酶活性不影响主动脉平滑肌细胞负荷胆固醇

NADPH氧化酶产生的活性氧促进血管平滑肌细胞的增殖和迁移,与动脉粥样硬化的发生密切相关.为了观察NADPH氧化酶的亚基p47phox对血管平滑肌细胞胆固醇代谢的影响,把p47phox基因敲除小鼠的主动脉血管平滑肌细胞与10 mg/L水溶性胆固醇共孵育72 h,然后用0.3 mg/L凝血酶处理10 min,采用免疫组织化学和油红O染色、实时定量逆转录PCR、免疫蛋白印迹、细胞内胆固醇测定等方法,观察细胞内胆固醇的改变,与平滑肌细胞、巨噬细胞、炎症反应细胞内胆固醇代谢相关蛋白的表达.结果显示,与未孵育的对照组相比,水溶性胆固醇孵育过的主动脉血管平滑肌细胞内胆固醇明显增加,差别有显著性意义:细胞内中性脂滴明显增加;α-肌动蛋白的表达下降,半乳糖凝集素3表达升高,单核细胞趋化蛋白1及血管细胞黏附分子1的表达不变;ATP结合盒转运体A1、酰基辅酶A:胆固醇酰基转移酶1及脂肪分化相关蛋白的表达增加.但是,与野生型血管平滑肌细胞相比,敲除p47phox基因并不能使所测定的指标发生变化.结果提示,负荷胆固醇后,p47phox依赖的NADPH氧化酶并不能改变血管平滑肌细胞向泡沫细胞的转变.单纯敲除p47phox基因不能改变细胞内胆固醇代谢的状态.     

A Diet High in Saturated Fat and Sucrose Alters Glucoregulation and Induces Aortic Fatty Streaks in New Zealand White Rabbits

A new and convenient animal model for studying peripheral vascular and coronary artery disease in diabetes was established in this study. Male New Zealand White rabbits weighing approximately 2 kg were divided into 2 groups: a normal control group fed standard laboratory chow and a diabetogenic diet–fed group received a high-fat/high-sucrose diet. The high-fat/high-sucrose diet (contained 10% lard and 37% sucrose) feeding was maintained for 6 months. Plasma total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, triglyceride, superoxide dismutase, nitric oxide, nitric oxide synthase, insulin, and glucose were quantitated at monthly or bimonthly intervals. The aortic fatty streak lesions were quantified following lipid staining with Sudan IV. The aortic samples were observed by electron microscopy. High plasma triglyceride and glucose concentrations were induced. At the end of 6 months, the aortic fatty streak lesions were present in the animals'' vascular specimens. As far as we know, this is the first report that demonstrates that New Zealand White rabbits can develop obvious aortic fatty streaks by feeding a high-fat/high-sucrose diet. Our results suggest that NewZealand White rabbits fed a high-fat/high-sucrose diet would provide a convenient model for studying peripheral vascular and coronary artery disease in diabetes.     

Adipophilin increases triglyceride storage in human macrophages by stimulation of biosynthesis and inhibition of beta-oxidation

Lipid accumulation alters macrophage biology and contributes to lipid retention within the vessel wall. In this study, we investigated the role of adipophilin on triglyceride accumulation and lipid-droplet formation in THP-1-derived macrophages (THP-1 macrophages). In the presence of acetylated low-density lipoprotein, macrophages infected with an adenovirus expressing human adipophilin showed a 31% increase in triglyceride content and a greater number of lipid droplets compared with control cells. Incubation of macrophages with very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) dramatically increased cellular triglyceride content similarly in control and adipophilin-overexpressing cells. By itself, VLDL increased adipophilin expression, which explains the lack of effect of adipophilin overexpression on cellular triglyceride content in macrophages loaded with VLDL. The lipid-droplet content of macrophages was increased by overexpression of adipophilin and/or loading with VLDL. In contrast, inhibition of adipophilin expression using siRNA prevented lipid-droplet formation and significantly reduced intracellular triglyceride content. Using inhibitors of beta-oxidation and acyl-coenzyme A synthetase, results were obtained which suggest that adipophilin elevates cellular lipids by inhibition of beta-oxidation and stimulation of long-chain fatty acid incorporation into triglycerides. Adipophilin expression in THP-1 macrophages altered the cellular content of different lipids and enhanced the size of lipid droplets, consistent with a role for adipophilin in human foam cell formation.     

Adipophilin is a sensitive marker for lipid loading in human blood monocytes.

Adipophilin, a marker of lipid accumulation initially described in adipocytes, was recently shown to be induced in macrophage foam cells. We found that even freshly isolated blood monocytes express adipophilin and that the amount of adipophilin protein is variable in monocytes from different healthy individuals. However, the physiological expression of adipophilin does not correlate with the levels of free fatty acids, cholesterylesters or free cholesterol. Enzymatically modified low-density lipoprotein (E-LDL) induces rapid foam cell formation in monocytes and upregulates adipophilin mRNA and protein within 2 h of incubation. This rapid induction of adipophilin is accompanied by a significant increase of free fatty acids in monocytes incubated with E-LDL. Adipophilin facilitates the uptake of free fatty acids, and here we demonstrate that free fatty acids increase is related to the early upregulation of adipophilin expression in blood monocytes. Fatty acids are ligands for peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPARgamma), and the upregulation of adipophilin mRNA by PPARgamma agonists like 15d-PGJ(2) and ciglitazone indicates that PPARgamma may mediate the induction of adipophilin expression in human blood monocytes.     

Paradoxical effect on atherosclerosis of hormone-sensitive lipase overexpression in macrophages

Foam cells formed from receptor-mediated uptake of lipoprotein cholesterol by macrophages in the arterial intima are critical in the initiation, progression, and stability of atherosclerotic lesions. Macrophages accumulate cholesterol when conditions favor esterification by acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT) over cholesteryl-ester hydrolysis by a neutral cholesteryl-ester hydrolase, such as hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL), and subsequent cholesterol efflux mediated by extracellular acceptors. We recently made stable transfectants of a murine macrophage cell line, RAW 264.7, that overexpressed a rat HSL cDNA and had a 5-fold higher rate of cholesteryl-ester hydrolysis than control cells. The current study examined the effect of macrophage-specific HSL overexpression on susceptibility to diet-induced atherosclerosis in mice. A transgenic line overexpressing the rat HSL cDNA regulated with a macrophage-specific scavenger receptor promoter-enhancer was established by breeding with C57BL/6J mice. Transgenic peritoneal macrophages exhibited macrophage-specific 7-fold overexpression of HSL cholesterol esterase activity. Total plasma cholesterol levels in transgenic mice fed a chow diet were modestly elevated 16% compared to control littermates. After 14 weeks on a high-fat, high-cholesterol diet, total cholesterol increased 3-fold, with no difference between transgenics and controls. However, HSL overexpression resulted in thicker aortic fatty lesions that were 2.5-times larger in transgenic mice. HSL expression in the aortic lesions was shown by immunocytochemistry. Atherosclerosis was more advanced in transgenic mice exhibiting raised lesions involving the aortic wall, along with lipid accumulation in coronary arteries occurring only in transgenics. Thus, increasing cholesteryl-ester hydrolysis, without concomitantly decreasing ACAT activity or increasing cholesterol efflux, is not sufficient to protect against atherosclerosis. hormone-sensitive lipase overexpression in macrophages.     

Evaluation of foam cell formation in cultured macrophages: an improved method with Oil Red O staining and DiI-oxLDL uptake

Macrophage-derived foam cell formation elicited by oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) is the hallmark of early atherogenesis. Detection of foam cell formation is conventionally practiced by Oil Red O (ORO) staining of lipid-laden macrophages. Other methods include 1,1′-dioctadecyl-3,3,3′3′-tetra-methylindocyanide percholorate (DiI)-labeled oxLDL (DiI-oxLDL) uptake and Nile Red staining. The purpose of the present study is to report an optimized method for assessing foam cell formation in cultured macrophages by ORO staining and DiI-oxLDL uptake. After incubation with oxLDL (50 μg/ml) for 24 h, the macrophages were fixed, stained with ORO for just 1 min, pronounced lipid droplets were clearly observed in more than 90% of the macrophages. To test the in vivo applicability of this method, lesions (or foam cells) of cryosections of aortic sinus or primary mouse peritoneal macrophages from ApoE deficient mice fed a high cholesterol diet were successfully stained. In another set of experiments, treatment of macrophages with DiI-oxLDL (10 μg/ml) for 4 h resulted in significant increase in oxLDL uptake in macrophages as demonstrated by confocol microscopy and flow cytometry. We conclude that the optimized ORO staining and fluorescent labeled oxLDL uptake techniques are very useful for assessing intracellular lipid accumulation in macrophages that are simpler and more rapid than currently used methods.     

Macrophage‐mediated cholesterol handling in atherosclerosis

Formation of foam cells is a hallmark at the initial stages of atherosclerosis. Monocytes attracted by pro‐inflammatory stimuli attach to the inflamed vascular endothelium and penetrate to the arterial intima where they differentiate to macrophages. Intimal macrophages phagocytize oxidized low‐density lipoproteins (oxLDL). Several scavenger receptors (SR), including CD36, SR‐A1 and lectin‐like oxLDL receptor‐1 (LOX‐1), mediate oxLDL uptake. In late endosomes/lysosomes of macrophages, oxLDL are catabolysed. Lysosomal acid lipase (LAL) hydrolyses cholesterol esters that are enriched in LDL to free cholesterol and free fatty acids. In the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), acyl coenzyme A: cholesterol acyltransferase‐1 (ACAT1) in turn catalyses esterification of cholesterol to store cholesterol esters as lipid droplets in the ER of macrophages. Neutral cholesteryl ester hydrolases nCEH and NCEH1 are involved in a secondary hydrolysis of cholesterol esters to liberate free cholesterol that could be then out‐flowed from macrophages by cholesterol ATP‐binding cassette (ABC) transporters ABCA1 and ABCG1 and SR‐BI. In atherosclerosis, disruption of lipid homoeostasis in macrophages leads to cholesterol accumulation and formation of foam cells.     

Hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis in low density lipoprotein receptor mutant rats

To establish low density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) mutant rats as a hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis model, we screened the rat LDLR gene for mutations using an N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea mutagenesis archive of rat gene data, and identified five mutations in its introns and one missense mutation (478T>A) in exon 4. The C160S mutation was located in the ligand binding domain of LDLR and was revealed to be equivalent to mutations (C160Y/G) identified in human familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) patients. The wild type, heterozygous, and homozygous mutant rats were fed a normal chow diet or a high fat high cholesterol (HFHC) diet from the age of 10 weeks for 16 weeks. The LDLR homozygous mutants fed the normal chow diet showed higher levels of plasma total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol than the wild type rats. When fed the HFHC diet, the homozygous mutant rats exhibited severe hyperlipidemia and significant lipid deposition from the aortic arch to the abdominal aorta as well as in the aortic valves. Furthermore, the female homozygous mutants also developed xanthomatosis in their paws. In conclusion, we suggest that LDLR mutant rats are a useful novel animal model of hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis.     

Hypocholesterolemic effect of physically refined rice bran oil: studies of cholesterol metabolism and early atherosclerosis in hypercholesterolemic hamsters

Physically refined rice bran oil containing 2-4% nontriglyceride components as compared to other vegetable oils appears to be associated with lipid lowering and antiinflammatory properties in several rodent, primate and human models. These experiments were designed to investigate possible mechanisms for the hypocholesterolemic effect of the physically refined rice bran oil and to examine its effect on aortic fatty streak formation. In the first experiment, 30 hamsters were fed, for 8 weeks, chow-based diets plus 0.03% added cholesterol and 5% (wt/wt) coconut, canola, or physically refined rice bran oil (COCO, CANOLA or PRBO animal groups, respectively). Both plasma total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) were significantly reduced in PRBO but not in CANOLA relative to COCO. PRBO also showed a significant 15-17% reduction in cholesterol absorption and significant 30% increase in neutral sterol (NS) excretion with no effect on bile acid (BA) excretion. Both CANOLA and PRBO showed a significant 300-500% increase in intestinal 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase and significant (>25%) decrease in hepatic HMG-CoA reductase activities with respect to COCO. In a second experiment, 36 hamsters were fed chow-based diets with 0.05% added cholesterol, 10% coconut oil and 4% additional COCO, CANOLA or PRBO. Relative to COCO and CANOLA, plasma TC and LDL-C were significantly reduced in PRBO. Early atherosclerosis (fatty streak formation) was significantly reduced (48%) only in PRBO, relative to the other two. These results suggest that the lipid lowering found in PRBO is associated with decreased cholesterol absorption, but not hepatic cholesterol synthesis, and that the decrease in fatty streak formation with this oil may be associated with its nontriglyceride components not present in the other two diets.