Effects of probucol on the in vivo plasma clearance of human low density lipoproteins in rabbits and on the expression of lipoprotein receptors in vitro.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of probucol on the plasma levels of low density lipoproteins in rabbits and whether the resulting decrease of low density lipoproteins was related to the effects of probucol on the expression of lipoprotein receptors. Probucol administration effectively lowered plasma cholesterol in normal rabbits. Both low density and high density lipoprotein cholesterol decreased, as well as apo B in the former fraction. Probucol had no effect on the fractional catabolic rate of low density lipoprotein while the flux of this lipoprotein decreased to about 50%. Moreover both the binding of lipoproteins to liver membranes and the in vitro uptake of low density lipoprotein by human skin fibroblasts were not affected by the drug. These findings are consistent with an effect of probucol on low density lipoprotein synthesis.