Department of Experimental Surgery and Surgical Research NS Christeas, Athens School of Medicine, Athens, Greece.
Lipids Health Dis. 2010 Mar 6;9:23. doi: 10.1186/1476-511X-9-23.
There is an increasing number of novel antilipidemic therapies under consideration. The putative hypolipidemic effect of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and sesame oil was studied in a mouse model of dietary-induced hypercholesterolemia.
Male C57bl/6 mice were assigned to the following groups: (NC) control group, (HC) group receiving test diet supplemented with 2% cholesterol and 0.5% cholic acid for 8 weeks, (HCN) group receiving the test diet with NAC supplementation (230 mg/kg p.o.) and (HCS) group fed the test diet enriched with 10% sesame oil. Total serum cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol and triglycerides were assayed at the beginning and at the end of the experiment. Total peroxides and nitric oxide (NO) levels were measured in the serum at the end of the experiment. Hepatic and aortic lesions were evaluated by haematoxylin-eosin staining.
Higher serum levels of total and LDL-cholesterol were recorded in all groups fed the high cholesterol diet. The HCN group presented reduced lipid levels compared to HC and HCS groups. No differences were observed between HCS and HC groups. Peroxide content in serum was markedly increased in mice consuming high cholesterol diet. NAC and sesame oil administration led to a significant decrease of serum lipid peroxidation in the levels of control group, whereas only NAC restored NO bioavailability. In terms of liver histology, the lesions observed in HCN group were less severe than those seen in the other high cholesterol groups.
Co-administration of NAC, but not sesame oil, restored the disturbed lipid profile and improved hepatic steatosis in the studied diet-induced hypercholesterolemic mice. Both agents appear to ameliorate serum antioxidant defense.
目前有越来越多的新型调脂治疗方法正在研究中。本研究旨在探讨 N-乙酰半胱氨酸（NAC）和芝麻油对饮食诱导的高胆固醇血症小鼠模型的潜在调脂作用。
雄性 C57BL/6 小鼠被分为以下几组：（NC）对照组、（HC）组给予添加 2%胆固醇和 0.5%胆酸的试验饮食 8 周、（HCN）组给予试验饮食加 NAC 补充（230mg/kg 口服）、（HCS）组给予添加 10%芝麻油的试验饮食。在实验开始和结束时检测总血清胆固醇、LDL-胆固醇、HDL-胆固醇和甘油三酯。在实验结束时测量血清中的总过氧化物和一氧化氮（NO）水平。用苏木精-伊红染色评估肝和主动脉病变。
所有给予高胆固醇饮食的组的总胆固醇和 LDL-胆固醇血清水平均升高。与 HC 和 HCS 组相比，HCN 组的血脂水平降低。HCS 组和 HC 组之间没有差异。食用高胆固醇饮食的小鼠血清中过氧化物含量明显增加。NAC 和芝麻油的联合使用可显著降低对照组血清脂质过氧化水平，但只有 NAC 可恢复 NO 生物利用度。就肝组织学而言，HCN 组的病变比其他高胆固醇组的病变程度较轻。
NAC 的联合使用（而非芝麻油）可恢复紊乱的血脂谱并改善研究中的饮食诱导的高胆固醇血症小鼠的肝脂肪变性。这两种药物似乎都能改善血清抗氧化防御。
