Cholesterol News:

Natural Compound Made From Tree Resin Appears Able to Help Lower Cholesterol

A natural compound made from tree resin, used for centuries as a dietary supplement in India, appears to be able to lower cholesterol levels, according to researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and Baylor College of Medicine.

Sap from the guggul tree contains a compound that blocks the action of the FXR cell receptor, which helps regulate cholesterol levels, according to the study. FXR has been shown to convert cholesterol to bile acids. When the bile acid reaches a certain level in the body, FXR is activated to interrupt the cholesterol-to-bile-acid process.

"The receptor keeps the bile acids in check," said Dr. David Mangelsdorf, professor of pharmacology at UT Southwestern and co-author of the study.

The action of the compound is very different from that of statin drugs, the current therapy for cholesterol control that works by blocking an enzyme that assists in cholesterol production in the liver.

Researchers tested the compound, called guggulsterone, on a group of mice with a normal FXR receptor and a group without the receptor. Cholesterol levels dropped in the mice that had the FXR receptor, but did not drop in the other mice, showing that the guggulsterone was having an affect on the FXR receptor, according to the study published in the journal Science.

Investigators are hopeful that their findings will lead to an alternate drug therapy for lowering cholesterol, as there are some patients who cannot tolerate the side effects of statin drugs. The new drug would work by preventing FXR from interrupting cholesterol metabolism in people whose bodies aren't getting rid of enough cholesterol during the normal process timeframe.

Source: Medical Week staff, week of May 5, 2002