THE HYPOCHOLESTEROLEMIC AND ANTIATHEROGENIC EFFECTS OF CHOLAZOL-H, A CHEMICALLY FUNCTIONALIZED INSOLUBLE FIBER WITH BILE-ACID SEQUESTRANT PROPERTIES IN HAMSTERS

Cholazol H (Alpha-Beta Technology, Worcester, MA), a chemically functi onalized, insoluble dietary fiber with bile acid sequestrant propertie s, was studied in 30 male F-1 B Golden Syrian hamsters for its effect on plasma lipid concentrations and early atherogenesis in experiment 1 . In experiment 2, 30 male Golden Syrian hamsters were studied for the effects on plasma lipids and fecal excretion of bile acids. In experi ment 1. three groups of 10 hamsters each were fed a chow-based hyperch olesterolemic diet supplemented with 5% coconut oil and 0.1% cholester ol for 6 weeks. After 6 weeks, hamsters were continued on the diet wit h either O% drug (hypercholesterolemic diet [HCD]), 0.5% cholestyramin e (CSTY), or 0.5% Cholazol H for 8 weeks. Fasting plasma lipids were m easured at weeks 6, 10. and 14, and early atherosclerosis (fatty strea k formation) was measured at week 14. Relative to HCD. CSTY and Cholaz ol H significantly lowered plasma total cholesterol (TC) (-37%, P <.03 , and -30%, P <.04, respectively) and plasma very-low and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (nonHDL-C) (-45%, P <.02, and -36%, P <.03, re spectively) with no significant effects on plasma HDL-C or triglycerid es (TG). Despite similar reductions in nonHDL-C, only Cholazol H signi ficantly prevented early atherosclerosis (-38%, P <.02) relative to HC D. In experiment 2, three groups of 10 hamsters each were fed a chow-b ased hypercholesterolemic diet supplemented with 10% coconut oil and 0 .05% cholesterol and either 0% drug HCD, 0.5% CSTY, or 0.5% Cholazol H for 4 weeks. Fasting plasma lipids were measured at weeks 2 and 4, an d fecal bile acids were measured at week 4. Both Cholazol H and CSTY w ere equally effective in significantly lowering plasma TC (-16%, P <.0 03, and -13%, P <.01. respectively) and nonHDL-C (-22%, P <.004, and - 18%, P <.02, respectively), with no significant effect on HDL-C and TG relative to HCD. Cholazol H and CSTY produced a significantly greater concentration of fecal total bile acids (39%, P <.001, and 28%, P <.0 02, respectively) relative to HCD. Also, there was a 48% (P <.002) and 65% (P <.001) greater fecal concentration of cholic acid (CA) for Cho lazol H-treated hamsters compared with HCD- and CSTY-treated hamsters, respectively. Cholazol H also significantly increased fecal concentra tion of deoxycholic acid (DCA; 56%, P <.02) compared with HCD. In summ ary, Cholazol H is as effective as CSTY for prevention of diet-induced hypercholesterolemia and early atherosclerosis in hamsters. Copyright (C) 1998 by W.B. Saunders Company.