6-Nitrocholesterol inhibits 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase and tumor cell growth

6-Nitrocholesterol has been shown to cause a 50% reduction in the level of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase activity in animal cells in culture at 1.9 microM and it has relative binding affinity for the cytosolic oxysterol binding protein of 357 nM in cell-free extracts from the same cell line. In addition, significant cytotoxicity was observed when this sterol was incubated with hepatoma and lymphoma cells in culture.