Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are the end products of colonic and cecal fermentation of dietary fiber with acetate, propionate and butyrate being the most abundant. SCFAs have been suggested to be partially accountable for the health-beneficial effects of dietary fiber. Previous researchers have shown that dietary SCFAs can lower blood cholesterol concentration in rats. However, the underlying mechanism remains elusive. It is also unknown which short chain fatty acids are responsible for the cholesterol-lowering activity of dietary fiber. In the present study, five groups of male golden Syrian hamsters were fed a high cholesterol diet (HC, 0.2 % cholesterol added) or one of the four HC diets containing 0.5 mol kg<sup>-1</sup> diet of acetic, propionic, butyric, and valeric acids, respectively. After 6-week intervention, it was observed that dietary acetic, propionic, and butyric acids but not valeric acid could significantly reduce plasma total cholesterol and non-high density lipoprotein cholesterol. Acetate, propionate, and butyrate could also significantly increase fecal excretion of bile acids. Real-time PCR analysis demonstrated that dietary acetate, propionate, and butyrate up-regulated hepatic mRNA expression of sterol regulatory element binding protein (SREBP)-2, LDL receptor (LDLR), lipoprotein lipase (LPL), and down-regulated hepatic SREBP1c mRNA expression. Besides, propionate supplementation led to a higher hepatic expression of mRNA cholesterol-7a-hydroxylase (CYP7A1) while dietary acetate down-regulated the production of mRNA fatty acid synthase (FAS). All four SCFAs did not markedly affect the abundance of intestinal mRNA involved in cholesterol absorption such as Niemann-Pick C1 like 1 (NPC1L1). It was concluded that SCFAs with carbon number 4 or less were hypocholesterolemic. The future research aims to elucidate the mechanisms by which dietary SCFAs could improve cholesterol homeostasis.<br/>

Cholesterol-lowering activity of short-chain fatty acids in hypercholesterolemia hamsters

254th National Meeting (2017)

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