Skip Navigation
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

Use this QR code to view the newest version of this document
Use this QR code to view the newest version of this document

Your Environment. Your Health.

Publication Detail

Title: Hypocholesterolemic properties of plant indoles. Inhibition of acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase activity and reduction of serum LDL/VLDL cholesterol levels by glucobrassicin derivatives.

Authors: Dunn, S E; LeBlanc, G A

Published In Biochem Pharmacol, (1994 Jan 20)

Abstract: Studies were undertaken to investigate the effects of the plant compound indole-3-carbinol (I3C) and its acid condensation products, which are generated in the stomach following ingestion of I3C, on cholesterol homeostasis in mice. Individual acid condensation products were synthesized and purified by HPLC. In vitro experiments revealed that several of the acid condensation products effectively inhibited the enzyme acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT), which is responsible for the conversion of free cholesterol to the cholesteryl ester, at micromolar concentrations. Since the inhibition of ACAT in vivo should reduce serum cholesterol levels, I3C was administered to mice, and the effects on serum cholesterol levels were evaluated. Total serum cholesterol levels were elevated by 29% in mice provided a 3% cholesterol-supplemented diet, but this elevation was attenuated significantly (P < or = 0.05) by approximately 50% when I3C (100 mg/kg/day) was added to this diet. This effect of I3C was entirely on low density lipoprotein (LDL)/very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) cholesterol, which was lowered significantly (P < or = 0.05) by approximately 30%. In summary, I3C lowered serum LDL/VLDL cholesterol levels in mice, and this effect was likely mediated by the inhibition of ACAT by some of the acid condensation products of I3C. These results provide a possible mechanism by which I3C-rich vegetables lower serum cholesterol levels.

PubMed ID: 8304980 Exiting the NIEHS site

MeSH Terms: Animals; Anticholesteremic Agents/pharmacology*; Cholesterol, LDL/blood*; Cholesterol, VLDL/blood*; Down-Regulation; Glucosinolates/pharmacology*; Indoles/chemical synthesis; Indoles/isolation & purification; Indoles/pharmacology*; Mice; Microsomes, Liver/drug effects*; Microsomes, Liver/enzymology; Plants/chemistry*; Sterol O-Acyltransferase/antagonists & inhibitors; Sterol O-Acyltransferase/metabolism*

Back
to Top