Efficient reabsorption of transintestinally excreted cholesterol is a strong determinant for cholesterol disposal in mice[S]

• Published in: Journal of lipid research 2019-09, Vol.60 (9), p.1562-1572
• Main Authors: van de Peppel, Ivo P., Bertolini, Anna, van Dijk, Theo H., Groen, Albert K., Jonker, Johan W., Verkade, Henkjan J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; ASBT inhibition; Biological Transport - drug effects; Cholesterol - metabolism; ezetimibe; Ezetimibe - pharmacology; Female; Intestinal Absorption - physiology; intestinal cholesterol absorption; Intestinal Mucosa - drug effects; Intestinal Mucosa - metabolism; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice, Knockout; Organic Anion Transporters, Sodium-Dependent - deficiency; Organic Anion Transporters, Sodium-Dependent - genetics; Symporters - deficiency; Symporters - genetics; transintestinal cholesterol excretion
• ISSN: 0022-2275; 1539-7262
• DOI: 10.1194/jlr.M094607

Transintestinal cholesterol excretion (TICE) is a major route for eliminating cholesterol from the body and a potential therapeutic target for hypercholesterolemia. The underlying mechanism, however, is largely unclear, and its contribution to cholesterol disposal from the body is obscured by the counteracting process of intestinal cholesterol reabsorption. To determine the quantity of TICE independent from its reabsorption, we studied two models of decreased intestinal cholesterol absorption. Cholesterol absorption was inhibited either by ezetimibe or, indirectly, by the genetic inactivation of the intestinal apical sodium-dependent bile acid transporter (ASBT; SLC10A2). Both ezetimibe treatment and Asbt inactivation virtually abrogated fractional cholesterol absorption (from 46% to 4% and 6%, respectively). In both models, fecal neutral sterol excretion and net intestinal cholesterol balance were considerably higher than in control mice (5- and 7-fold, respectively), suggesting that, under physiological conditions, TICE is largely reabsorbed. In addition, the net intestinal cholesterol balance was increased to a similar extent but was not further increased when the models were combined, suggesting that the effect on cholesterol reabsorption was already maximal under either condition alone. On the basis of these findings, we hypothesize that the inhibition of cholesterol (re)absorption combined with stimulating TICE will be most effective in increasing cholesterol disposal.