CHOLESTEROL-LOWERING EFFECTS OF PSYLLIUM SEED ASSOCIATED WITH UREA METABOLISM

Twenty-eight mild hypercholesterolemic male and female adults were ora lly administered psyllium seed for 3 months. After psyllium treatment, the serum total cholesterol, low-density-lipoprotein-cholesterol and atherogenic index significantly decreased, but levels of high-density- lipoprotein-cholesterol, triglyceride and urea nitrogen did not. To de termine the parameters associated with the cholesterol-lowering effect in the subjects' backgrounds, both biochemical and hematological para meters, we statistically examined the correlation between pretreatment parameters and the absolute change of total cholesterol level. The ab solute change of total cholesterol level showed a direct correlation w ith the triglyceride level at pretreatment (r=0.41, P=0.03) and had an inverse correlation with urea nitrogen level (r=-0.46, P=0.01) but no t with the total cholesterol level (r=-0.18). The change in urea nitro gen level had an inverse correlation with the urea nitrogen level itse lf at pretreatment (r=-0.82, P=7 x 10(-8)) and had a direct correlatio n with the triglyceride level (r=0.43, P=0.02). The change in triglyce ride level had an inverse correlation with the urea nitrogen level (r= -0.48, P=0.008). Furthermore, the change in total cholesterol level ha d direct correlations with changes in the triglyceride level (r=0.56, P=0.002) and the urea nitrogen level(r=0.51, P=0.006), but these chang es in triglyceride and urea nitrogen level did not correlate significa ntly. These findings suggest the dose association of urea nitrogen and lipid metabolism in hyperlipidemia and psyllium seed treatment.