Introduction: Triphala, consisting of three fruits, Phyllanthus emblica L. (Phyllanthaceae), Terminalia bellirica (Gaertn.) Roxb. (Combretaceae), and T. chebula Retz, is a well-recognized Ayurvedic herbal formulation, used for various therapeutic purposes, including the treatment dyslipidemia. Inhibitory activity against 3‑hydroxy‑3‑methylglutaryl‑coenzyme A (HMG‑CoA) reductase, rate-limiting e...

The influence of membrane cholesterol content on 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA reductase (HMG-CoA reductase, EC 1.1.1.34) in rat liver microsomes was investigated. Microsomes were enriched in cholesterol by incubation with egg phosphatidylcholine-cholesterol vesicles and the nonspecific lipid transfer protein from rat liver. By this method, the microsomal cholesterol content was 2.5-fold enhan...

The insulin signaling pathway has been implicated in several physiological and developmental processes. In mammals, it controls expression of 3-Hydroxy-3-Methylglutaryl CoA Reductase (HMGCR), a key enzyme in cholesterol biosynthesis. In insects, which can not synthesize cholesterol de novo, the HMGCR is implicated in the biosynthesis of juvenile hormone (JH). However, the link between the insul...

The activities of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA reductase (HMGCoA reductase; EC 1.1.1.34), rate-limiting enzyme of cholesterol biosynthesis, and cholesterol 7 alpha-hydroxylase (EC 1.14.13.17), key enzyme of the neutral bile acid synthesis pathway, were measured in the microsomal fraction of rat liver and in rat liver cells to investigate the coordinate regulation of the two pathways. Both enz...

Manganese (Mn) and bilirubin (BR) induce intrahepatic cholestasis when injected sequentially. It was suggested that accumulation of newly synthesized cholesterol in the canalicular membrane is an initial step in the development of cholestasis. To clarify the involvement of cholesterol in the pathogenesis of Mn-BR-induced cholestasis, we examined biliary secretion and liver subcellular distribut...

Hypoalbuminemia is accompanied by hypercholesterolemia in both nephrotic syndrome and hereditary analbuminemia. Hypercholesterolemia is more severe in the female than in the male Nagase analbuminemic rats (NAR). The gender difference in plasma cholesterol diminishes ovariectomy (OVX) and reappears by estrogen replacement in the NAR. The molecular mechanism responsible for the gender difference ...

UNLABELLED While the intrauterine environment is essential for the health of offspring, the impact of high maternal serum estradiol (E2) on lipid metabolism in offspring and the mechanisms are unknown. We found that ovarian stimulation (OS) could result in high E2 levels in women throughout pregnancy. Strikingly, their newborns showed elevated total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoprotein ...

OBJECTIVE Interindividual variation in pathways affecting cellular cholesterol metabolism can influence levels of plasma cholesterol, a well-established risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Inherent variation among immortalized lymphoblastoid cell lines from different donors can be leveraged to discover novel genes that modulate cellular cholesterol metabolism. The objective of this study wa...

Interferons (IFNs) play a central role in immunity and emerging evidence suggests that IFN-signalling coordinately regulates sterol biosynthesis in macrophages, via Sterol Regulatory Element-Binding Protein (SREBP) dependent and independent pathways. However, the precise mechanisms and kinetic steps by which IFN controls sterol biosynthesis are as yet not fully understood. Here, we elucidate th...

Genetic variation in 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA reductase (HMGCR), the rate-limiting enzyme in cholesterol synthesis, modifies the effect of statins on serum cholesterol levels. Long-term use of statins is associated with a reduced risk of colorectal cancer (CRC) in some, but not all, studies. We genotyped variants in 40 candidate genes important for cholesterol synthesis and metabolism in ...