American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol 10, 277-284, Copyright © 1962 by The American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc.

Comparative Studies on Hypocholesteremic Agents

¹ From the Institute of Pharmacology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy

Selected hypocholesteremic compounds have been tested using simple and comparative methods in vitro and in vivo in order to evaluate the necessary conditions for a study of new compounds.

The effect of the agents on cholesterol and fatty acid synthesis in vitro from labeled precursors (1-C¹⁴ acetate, 2-C¹⁴ mevalonic acid) was measured both in liver from normal animals and in liver slices from regenerating animals after partial hepatectomy. The correlation between inhibition of the endogenous synthesis and the decrease of serum and tissue cholesterol was discussed.

The compounds were also tested in experimental conditions of hypercholesteremia (injection of Triton in rats and Depo-estradiol in cockerels). The Triton test is particularly useful in the differentiation of the point of attack of new hypocholesterolemizing drugs. The compounds active immediately after the administration of Triton antagonize the increased synthesis of cholesterol and fatty acids; the drugs active at later times modify the breakdown rate of the increased serum cholesterol.