Baseline plasma plant sterol concentrations do not predict changes in serum lipids, C-reactive protein (CRP) and plasma plant sterols following intake of a plant sterol-enriched food

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Plant sterol (PS) consumption lowers serum cholesterol levels, while modestly increasing plasma PS concentrations. Plasma PS concentrations may reflect sterol absorption, thus individuals with high plasma plant sterol (HPS) concentrations may show greater changes in circulating cholesterol and PS than individuals with low plasma plant sterol (LPS) concentrations. The objective of this study was to examine whether HPS and LPS concentrations are related to subsequent changes in plasma PS, serum lipid and C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations, following dietary PS intake in otherwise healthy hypercholesterolemic men. Subjects/Methods: This single-blinded, randomized, diet-controlled study consisted of two 4-week phases, separated by a 4-week washout, where a diet with a placebo or the 2.0 g per day PS-enriched spread was consumed during the phases. Results: At baseline, men with HPS possessed higher (Po0.01) mean serum cholesterol concentration, while those with LPS had higher (Po0.05) body mass index. Following PS intake, plasma sum of campesterol plus sitosterol concentrations were elevated from 34.6±4.2 to 46.2±3.3 mmol l À1 (mean±SE) and 16.5±0.9 to 20.8±1.2 mmol l À1 after PS intake in men with HPS and LPS, respectively. Changes in plasma PS concentrations, however, were not different between individuals with either HPS or LPS baseline concentrations. Total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were decreased (Po0.0001) by 6.3 and 7.8%, respectively, with PS consumption for all individuals. Changes in lipid parameters were not different between individuals with HPS or LPS baseline concentrations. No changes in CRP were apparent subsequent to PS intervention. Conclusions: Baseline plasma PS concentrations are not associated or predictive of changes in serum cholesterol or plasma PS concentrations after PS intervention. Thus, individuals with HPS show similar increases in PS concentrations as individuals with LPS following PS supplementation. Plasma PS remained in the range of previously reported concentrations.

Baseline cholesterol absorption and the response to ezetimibe/simvastatin therapy: a post-hoc analysis of the ENHANCE trial

“…Although we can confi rm these observations in our study (data not shown), the observed increases in plant sterol levels might be merely due to diminished biliary sterol secretion during statin therapy, resulting in a smaller intestinal sterol pool instead of increased cholesNevertheless, these associations were abolished once corrected for baseline LDL-C levels ( Table 2 ). Our fi nding is in line with that of other studies in which the LDL-C responses after treatment with statins (18) and intake of plant sterols (25) were also adjusted for baseline LDL-C levels. This highlights the importance of baseline LDL-C as a determinant for LDL-C lowering response, rather than baseline markers of cholesterol metabolism, even more so, because these were weakly correlated at baseline in our study.…”

Effects of a 2-y dietary weight-loss intervention on cholesterol metabolism in moderately obese men

“…The participants of our study, at baseline, were obese, had fasting insulin activities in high-normal ranges, and had a HOMA-IRs suggestive of insulin resistance (34). Absolute campesterol concentrations were in the low-normal range (35). Relative campesterol concentrations were comparable with those reported for patients with the metabolic syndrome (32), which points to reduced baseline sterol absorption probably secondary to increased cholesterol synthesis (5).…”

Genetic Variation in ABC G5/G8 and NPC1L1 Impact Cholesterol Response to Plant Sterols in Hypercholesterolemic Men

“…The experimental protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Medicine at McGill University. Details of volunteer recruitment, study diet, blood collection and analysis for testing serum concentrations of total cholesterol (TC), high density lipoprotein (HDL), LDL, triacylglycerol (TG) as well as plasma PS concentrations have been previously described by Houweling et al [17].…”