Biomaterial Database

Effect of the plant compound indole-3-carbinol on hepatic cholesterol homoeostasis. 1994

G A LeBlanc, and J D Stuart, and S E Dunn, and W S Baldwin

Department of Toxicology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh 27695.

The aim of this study was to elucidate the effects of the compound indole-3-carbinol (I3C), which is found in cruciferous vegetables, on hepatic cholesterol homoeostasis and metabolism in male CD-1 mice. Oral administration of 500 and 750 mg I3C/kg/day to mice for 1 wk resulted in increased liver mass and microsomal protein content. Hepatic microsomal cholesterol levels were not significantly altered following treatment with 100 and 250 mg I3C/kg/day, but were significantly decreased following treatment with 500 and 750 mg/kg/day. Conversely, the lower doses of I3C administered decreased serum cholesterol levels whereas the higher doses of I3C had no effect on this parameter. Alterations in cholesterol homoeostasis by I3C were not related to liver hypertrophy, since administration of phenobarbital to mice increased liver size, but had no significant effect on hepatic microsomal or serum cholesterol levels. Activities of the hepatic enzymes cholesterol ester hydrolase and cholesterol 7 alpha-hydroxylase were not altered by I3C. However, 500 and 750 mg I3C/kg/day elevated the activity of hepatic acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT), the enzyme responsible for the formation of hepatic cholesteryl esters. These results demonstrate that (a) I3C lowers serum cholesterol levels at concentrations that have no discernible effect on hepatic cholesterol homoeostasis, and (b) at higher doses of I3C, hepatic microsomal cholesterol levels are significantly lowered and ACAT activity is significantly elevated. These latter effects are not accompanied by changes in serum cholesterol levels and may represent compensatory mechanisms to restore cholesterol homoeostasis in the body. Mechanisms responsible for the effects of I3C on cholesterol homoeostasis are proposed.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007211	Indoles	Benzopyrroles with the nitrogen at the number one carbon adjacent to the benzyl portion, in contrast to ISOINDOLES which have the nitrogen away from the six-membered ring.
D008099	Liver	A large lobed glandular organ in the abdomen of vertebrates that is responsible for detoxification, metabolism, synthesis and storage of various substances.	Livers
D008297	Male		Males
D008862	Microsomes, Liver	Closed vesicles of fragmented endoplasmic reticulum created when liver cells or tissue are disrupted by homogenization. They may be smooth or rough.	Liver Microsomes,Liver Microsome,Microsome, Liver
D002784	Cholesterol	The principal sterol of all higher animals, distributed in body tissues, especially the brain and spinal cord, and in animal fats and oils.	Epicholesterol
D002785	Sterol O-Acyltransferase	An enzyme that catalyzes the formation of cholesterol esters by the direct transfer of the fatty acid group from a fatty acyl CoA derivative. This enzyme has been found in the adrenal gland, gonads, liver, intestinal mucosa, and aorta of many mammalian species. EC 2.3.1.26.	Acyl-CoA-Cholesterol Acyltransferase,Cholesterol Acyltransferase,Cholesterol Esterifying Enzyme,Acyl CoA Cholesterol Acyltransferase,Acyltransferase, Acyl-CoA-Cholesterol,Acyltransferase, Cholesterol,Enzyme, Cholesterol Esterifying,Esterifying Enzyme, Cholesterol,O-Acyltransferase, Sterol,Sterol O Acyltransferase
D002787	Sterol Esterase	An enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of CHOLESTEROL ESTERS and some other sterol esters, to liberate cholesterol plus a fatty acid anion.	Cholesterol Esterase,15-Ketosteryl Oleate Hydrolase,Acylcholesterol Lipase,Cholesterol Ester Hydrolase,Cholesteryl Oleate Hydrolase,Cholesterylester Hydrolase,Hormone-Sensitive Lipase,Lipase A (Lysosomal Acid Cholesterol Esterase),Lipoidal Steroid Esterase,Lysosomal Acid Cholesterol Esterase,Lysosomal Acid Lipase,Steroid Hormone Esterase,Sterol Ester Acylhydrolase,15 Ketosteryl Oleate Hydrolase,Acid Lipase, Lysosomal,Acylhydrolase, Sterol Ester,Esterase, Cholesterol,Esterase, Lipoidal Steroid,Esterase, Steroid Hormone,Esterase, Sterol,Hormone Sensitive Lipase,Hydrolase, 15-Ketosteryl Oleate,Hydrolase, Cholesterol Ester,Hydrolase, Cholesteryl Oleate,Hydrolase, Cholesterylester,Lipase, Acylcholesterol,Lipase, Hormone-Sensitive,Steroid Esterase, Lipoidal
D002790	Cholesterol 7-alpha-Hydroxylase	A membrane-bound cytochrome P450 enzyme that catalyzes the 7-alpha-hydroxylation of CHOLESTEROL in the presence of molecular oxygen and NADPH-FERRIHEMOPROTEIN REDUCTASE. This enzyme, encoded by CYP7, converts cholesterol to 7-alpha-hydroxycholesterol which is the first and rate-limiting step in the synthesis of BILE ACIDS.	CYP7,CYP7A,Cytochrome P-450 CYP7,CYP 7,CYP 7A,Cholesterol 7-alpha-Monooxygenase,Cholesterol 7alpha-Hydroxylase,Cholesterol-7-Hydroxylase,Cytochrome P450 7,Cholesterol 7 Hydroxylase,Cholesterol 7 alpha Hydroxylase,Cholesterol 7 alpha Monooxygenase,Cholesterol 7alpha Hydroxylase,Cytochrome P 450 CYP7
D006706	Homeostasis	The processes whereby the internal environment of an organism tends to remain balanced and stable.	Autoregulation
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia