Hypocholesterolemic action of beta-cyclodextrin and its effects on cholesterol metabolism in pigs fed a cholesterol-enriched diet.

To examine the effects of beta-cyclodextrin (BCD), a non-absorbable carbohydrate, on lipid metabolism, growing pigs were fed a 0.3% cholesterol-enriched diet for 4 weeks or this diet containing 5% or 10% BCD. Pigs fed a basal diet without added cholesterol or BCD were used as controls. The cholesterol-rich diet induced hypercholesterolemia (1.75 vs. 0.84 g/l plasma) due to increased LDL concentration, delayed the plasma clearance of vitamin A, enhanced liver cholesterol storage, lowered the hepatic activities of LDL-receptors (by 47%) and HMG-CoA reductase (by 62%), stimulated cholesterol 7alpha-hydroxylase (x3), and accelerated the fecal output of neutral sterols (x4). Addition of BCD to the cholesterol-rich diet prevented the elevation of plasma cholesterol due to dietary cholesterol excess. Moreover, BCD produced a dose-dependent effect in reducing liver cholesterol storage, stimulating hepatic cholesterogenesis, increasing the proportion of primary bile acids in bile and in feces, and the fecal loss of neutral sterols and bile acids. Pigs receiving 10% BCD thus differed markedly from controls, especially for HMG-CoA reductase and cholesterol 7alpha-hydroxylase hepatic activities (x5), and fecal output of total bile acids (x3) and hyocholic acid (x20), and their overall cholesterol synthesis was higher (+50%), despite the abundant dietary cholesterol. Owing to the property of BCD to bind cholesterol and bile acids in vitro, these results suggest that this resistant carbohydrate accelerates body cholesterol turnover by reducing cholesterol absorption, increasing cholesterol and bile acid synthesis, and altering the action of the intestinal microflora.