Abstract
Clinical studies have clearly established a relationship between bile acid synthesis and plasma LDL-cholesterol concentrations. Interruption of the enterohepatic circulation of bile acids leads to increased bile acid synthesis and a reduction in plasma LDL-cholesterol concentrations. New studies indicate that genetic variation in cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase activity accounts for a significant fraction of the inter-individual variation in plasma LDL-cholesterol concentrations in the general population, and a specific CYP7A1 allele associated with increased plasma LDL-cholesterol concentrations has been identified. Studies in which cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase was transiently overexpressed in hamsters and mice indicate that direct manipulation of cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase leads to changes in plasma LDL-cholesterol concentrations. Interestingly, targeted inactivation of the gene encoding cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase does not lead to increased plasma LDL-cholesterol concentrations in mice.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 303-307 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | Current opinion in lipidology |
Volume | 10 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 1999 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism
- Molecular Biology
- Genetics
- Nutrition and Dietetics
- Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine
- Cell Biology