Cholesterol absorption through the gut can be reduced

Main Category: Cholesterol
Article Date: 21 Feb 2004 - 0:00 PST

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Researchers say they now know how to prevent the gut from absorbing cholesterol. We could be seeing the beginnings of a new type of cholesterol-lowering drug.

There is a drug called Zetia that lowers cholesterol in the body. The problem has been that no one knew why or how this drug did this. The drug is produced by Schering-Plough Corporation.

According to an article in the journal Science, we may now be able to explain how Zetia works.

Scot Atlman Graziano (and colleagues) said that the drug affects a protein. This protein is called NPC1L1.

When the researchers genetically engineered some mice that lacked this protein, they found that these mice absorbed much less cholesterol from the food they were given in comparison to other normal mice. The absorption was 70% less, in fact.

How did this help the scientists discover how Zetia works?

They gave the genetically engineered mice Zetia to see if there was any difference in the rate at which their bodies would absorb cholesterol. There was no difference. Giving these mice Zetia did not alter their bodies' absorption of cholesterol. This mean sthat Zetia is affecting the protein NPC1L1.

As the researchers' experiments progressed, they found that the protein NPC1L1 does not work alone. It interacts with something else. They do not yet know what it is, but said they will carry on until they find out.

We all know there is a strong link between cholesterol levels in the blood and heart disease. Finding out how we absorb cholesterol, and being able to regulate this rate is very important.

The problem for the pharmaceutical industry today is finding a drug that reduces cholesterol absorption without affecting how our bodies absorb other nutrients, such as fats.

Some dugs on the market can reduce your body's fat absorption rate from food. The trouble is these drugs also stop other nutrients from entering the body, such as vitamins A and K. There are also other side-effects associated with drugs like that.

Finding a drug that targets only cholesterol in such a precise way would be better for patients.

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