In 1997-1999, 120 incident and histologically verified cases of stomach cancer were frequency matched on age, gender, residence, and urban/rural status with 360 controls to study the role of diet in gastric cancer in Uruguay. We focused on the role of plant sterols (beta-sitosterol, campesterol, stigmasterol, and total plant sterols) after controlling for major confounders. Total phytosterols w...

Sterols, a class of lipids found in the cellular membranes of all eukaryotes, have vital roles in regulating membrane fluidity and permeability. While animal cells contain cholesterol in their membranes, plant cells contain phytosterols such as campesterol, sitosterol, and stigmasterol. The sterol ergosterol, discovered more than a century ago from the ergot fungus Claviceps purpurea [1], is a ...

Sitosterolaemia is a rare autosomal recessive lipid disorder characterized by increased absorption of plant sterols in the gut and decreased biliary excretion of sterols causing accumulation of plasma sterols, which can lead to premature atherosclerosis. Here we reported a boy presented with multiple tuberous xanthomas at 4 year sold and was diagnosed sitosterolaemia [1]. The fasting plasma tot...

A partially purified H+-ATPase from the plasma membrane (PM) of corn (Zea mays L.) roots was inserted into vesicles prepared with soybean (Glycine max L.) phospholipids and various concentrations of individual sterols using either a freeze-thaw sonication or an octylglucoside dilution procedure. Both methods yielded a functional enzyme that retained its native characteristics. We have investiga...

The ATP binding cassette transporters ABCG5 (G5) and ABCG8 (G8) limit the accumulation of neutral sterols by restricting sterol uptake from the intestine and promoting sterol excretion into bile. Humans and mice lacking G5 and G8 (G5G8-/-) accumulate plant sterols in the blood and tissues. However, despite impaired biliary cholesterol secretion, plasma and liver cholesterol levels are lower in ...

The effect of dietary plant sterols on cholesterol homeostasis has been well characterized in the intestine, but how plant sterols affect lipid metabolism in other lipid-rich tissues is not known. Changes in hepatic cholesterol homeostasis in response to high dietary intakes of plant sterols were determined in male golden Syrian hamsters fed hypercholesterolemia-inducing diets with and without ...

We have studied metabolism of plant sterols and squalene administered intravenously in the form of lipid emulsion mimicking chylomicrons (CM). The CM-like lipid emulsion was prepared by dissolving squalene in commercially available Intralipid. The emulsion was given as an intravenous bolus injection of 30 ml containing 6.3 mg of cholesterol, 1.9 mg of campesterol, 5.7 mg of sitosterol, 1.6 mg o...

BACKGROUND Consumption of plant sterols has been reported to reduce low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol concentrations by 5-15%. Factors that affect plant sterol efficacy are still to be determined. OBJECTIVES To more precisely quantify the effect of plant sterol enriched products on LDL cholesterol concentrations than what is reported previously, and to identify and quantify the effect...

BACKGROUND Cholesterol metabolic studies are simplified in colectomized patients because of rapid intestinal passage and reduced bacterial action. OBJECTIVE Our objective was to study the effect on cholesterol and plant sterol metabolism of feeding a margarine containing stanol ester to 11 colectomized patients. DESIGN A margarine containing 2 g stanol was consumed for 7-18 d. Serum, biliar...

We investigated the changes of cholesterol and non-cholesterol sterol metabolism during plant stanol ester margarine feeding in 153 hypercholesterolemic subjects. Rapeseed oil (canola oil) margarine without (n = 51) and with (n = 102) stanol (2 or 3 g/day) ester was used for 1 year. Serum sterols were analyzed with gas-liquid chromatography. The latter showed a small increase in sitostanol peak...