Ta. Miettinen et H. Vanhanen, SERUM CONCENTRATION AND METABOLISM OF CHOLESTEROL DURING RAPESEED OILAND SQUALENE FEEDING, The American journal of clinical nutrition, 59(2), 1994, pp. 356-363
The effect of rapeseed oil with and without added squalene was studied
on serum lipids and cholesterol metabolism. Dietary rapeseed oil redu
ced LDL cholesterol by 10%, increased cholesterol precursors and plant
sterols, and decreased cholestanol in serum during a 6-wk baseline pe
riod from initial values. Addition of 1 g squalene in rapeseed oil for
9 wk caused net increases in serum total, VLDL-, IDL-, and LDL-choles
terol concentrations by 12%, 34%, 28%, and 12%, respectively; squalene
by five times; and cholesterol precursor sterols by up to 60%. Fecal
squalene was 15% of the dietary intake, cholesterol absorption was unc
hanged, fecal neutral sterols were significantly increased, whereas, i
n contrast to the precursor sterols, the increase in cholesterol synth
esis was insignificant. LDL apolipoprotein B was increased by 14% with
unchanged removal but enhanced transport of LDL apolipoprotein B. A n
egative correlation between the changes in LDL apolipoprotein B remova
l and LDL cholesterol suggests that LDL receptor activity was downregu
lated, allowing more of the LDL precursor lipoproteins to be converted
to LDL. A subsequent 6-wk period on 0.5 g squalene/ d normalized seru
m sterols.