American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol 18, 343-349, Copyright © 1966 by The American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc.

The Effect of Cholestyramine on Fecal Excretion of Ingested Radioiodinated Lipids

¹ From the Department of Physiology, The University of Texas, Southwestern Medical School, and The Gastrointestinal Research Foundation of the Southwest, Dallas, Texas

Fifteen normal human subjects free of gastrointestinal disease ingested daily, graded doses of cholestyramine. Control studies consisted of a medical history, physical examination, complete blood count, urinalysis, gravimetric stool fat analysis, triolein-I¹³¹ and oleic acid-I¹³¹ absorption studies, and serum cholesterol level. Groups of five subjects were placed on 12, 24 and 36 gm. of cholestyramine daily for from fifteen to twenty-seven consecutive days. Cholestyramine administration at these dosage levels was associated with minimal side effects including transient initial nausea, epigastric fullness and abdominal distention, increased flatulence and constipation. No instances of clinically significant diarrhea occurred in any of the groups and no systemic symptoms were manifest in any of the subjects. There were no significant changes observed in hematograms or urinalyses. Significant lowering of serum cholesterol values was observed at each of the three dosage levels. No enhancement in serum cholesterol reduction was seen in normal subjects ingesting more than 12 gm. cholestyramine per day. At a dosage level of 12 gm. of cholestyramine daily no significant impairment in the absorption of neutral fat or fatty acid occurred. At a level of 24 gm. daily sòme impairment in neutral fat was observed, but oleic acid absorption was considered essentially normal. At 36 gm. per day significant impairment in both neutral fat and fatty acid absorption occurred.