Interactions of dietary phytosterols with lipid-lowering drugs in apolipoprotein E deficient mice

Phytosterols are chemicals naturally found in vegetable oils, seeds, nuts, and some tree products. It has been shown that plant sterols inhibit cholesterol absorption, thereby lowering plasma total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels without significantly altering high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol or triglycerides (TG). Cholesterol-lowering effects of phytosterols are associated with a significant reduction in atherosclerosis in apo E-knokout (apo E-KO) mice.; The interactions between phytosterols and non-statin lipid-lowering agents have not been studied. Thus, it was hypothesized that a combination of phytosterols with niacin or fenofibrate will synergistically impact lipoprotein profile and atherogenesis in apolipoprotein E deficient (apo E-KO) mice.; The results suggest that: First, addition of plant sterols to niacin may beneficially alter plasma lipoprotein profile and consequently affect atherogenesis in apo E-KO mice. Second, addition of phytosterols to fenofibrate did not result in reductions in plasma cholesterol level and atherosclerotic lesion size in apo E-KO mice. Third, a combination of phytosterols plus fenofibrate or niacin do not appear to change the morphology of the liver and kidney tissues. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)...