Effect of dietary inclusion of Lactobacillus acidophilus ATCC 43121 on cholesterol metabolism in rats

Yoo Heon Park, Jong Gun Kim, Young Won Shin, Sae Hun Kim, Kwang Youn Whang

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125 Scopus citations

Abstract

This study examined the effects of Lactobacillus acidophilus ATCC 43121 (LAB) on cholesterol metabolism in hypercholesterolemia-induced rats. Four treatment groups of rats (n=9) were fed experimental diets: normal diet, normal diet+LAB (2 × 106 CFU/day), hypercholesterol diet (0.5% cholesterol, w/w), and hypercholesterol diet+LAB. Body weight, feed intake, and feed efficiency did not differ among the four groups. Supplementation with LAB reduced total serum cholesterol (25%) and VLDL+IDL+LDL cholesterol (42%) in hypercholesterol diet groups, although hepatic tissue cholesterol and lipid contents were not changed. In the normal diet group, cholesterol synthesis (HMG-CoA reductase expression), absorption (LDL receptor expression), and excretion via bile acids (cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase expression) were increased by supplementation with LAB, and increased cholesterol absorption and decreased excretion were found in the hypercholesterol diet group. Total fecal acid sterols excretion was increased by supplementation with LAB. With proportional changes in both normal and hypercholesterol diet groups, primary bile acids (cholic and chenodeoxycholic acids) were reduced, and secondary bile acids (deoxycholic and lithocholic acids) were increased. Fecal neutral sterol excretion was not changed by LAB. In this experiment, the increase in insoluble bile acid (lithocholic acid) reduced blood cholesterol level in rats fed hypercholesterol diets supplemented with LAB. Thus, in the rat, L. acidophilus ATCC 43121 is more likely to affect deconjugation and dehydroxylation during cholesterol metabolism than the assimilation of cholesterol into cell membranes.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)655-662
Number of pages8
JournalJournal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
Volume17
Issue number4
StatePublished - Apr 2007

Keywords

  • Hypocholesterolemic effect
  • L. acidophilus ATCC 43121
  • Rat

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