Open AccessLovastatin Inhibits Gallstone Formation in the Cholesterol-fed Prairie Dog
Author(s) -
Kimberly D. Saunders,
Joe A. Cates,
Mohammad Z. Abedin,
Sheila Rege,
Sarkis Festekdjian,
W. H. Howard,
Joel J. Roslyn
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
annals of surgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.153
H-Index - 309
eISSN - 1528-1140
pISSN - 0003-4932
DOI - 10.1097/00000658-199108000-00009
Subject(s) - lovastatin , prairie dog , gallstones , cholesterol , medicine , distilled water , high cholesterol , endocrinology , gastroenterology , biology , chemistry , ecology , chromatography
The efficacy of lovastatin, an inhibitor of hepatic cholesterol synthesis in the prevention of cholesterol gallstone formation, was evaluated in the prairie dog model. Two groups of animals were maintained on either nonlithogenic or 1.2% cholesterol-enriched chow for 21 days. Seven of the animals in each group received lovastatin, and the remaining six received only distilled water. All of the cholesterol-fed/water-treated animals had crystals and 83% had gallstones, but none of the cholesterol-fed/lovastatin-treated animals had gallstones and only three had microscopic crystals. These data indicate that lovastatin inhibits cholesterol gallstone formation in a diet-induced model of gallstone disease.