M. Sakono et al., LYMPHATIC TRANSPORT OF CHOLESTEROL IN NORMOCHOLESTEROLEMIC RATS TREATED WITH PRAVASTATIN, AN INHIBITOR OF HMG-COA REDUCTASE, Atherosclerosis, 124(1), 1996, pp. 95-102
Lymphatic absorption and transport of cholesterol and triacylglycerols
were examined in rats treated with pravastatin, an inhibitor of 3-hyd
roxy-3-methyglutaryl-CoA (HMG-CoA) reductase. Pravastatin-treatment fo
r 1, 7 and 28 days did not affect the recovery of cholesterol and tria
cylglycerols during 24 h after the lipid administration: the recovery
was 52-59% and 82-93% for cholesterol and triacylglycerols, respective
ly. Rats treated with pravastatin for 28 days had a higher lymphatic r
ecovery of the lipids during 3-6 h after the lipid administration than
did control rats. Pravastatin treatment did not affect the ratio of p
hospholipid to cholesterol in the gut mucosa, the fatty acid compositi
on of the lymph and mucosal lipids. We concluded that an inhibitor of
HMG-CoA reductase would exert no adverse effect on absorption of fat-s
oluble nutrients by gut.