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Increased Intestinal Contents Viscosity Reduces Cholesterol Absorption Efficiency in Hamsters Fed Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose^1,2,3,

Department of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108

This study was conducted to test the hypothesis that increased intestinal contents viscosity lowers plasma cholesterol concentrations by decreasing cholesterol absorption. Male Golden Syrian hamsters were fed for 4 wk diets containing 0.12% cholesterol, and either 4% cellulose or four different viscosity grades of hydroxypropyl methylcelulose (HPMC). Dietary HPMC confers viscosity in the small intestine but is resistant to fermentation. Cholesterol absorption efficiency was measured using the dual isotope ratio method, and plasma and liver cholesterol concentrations were determined enzymatically. Ex vivo viscosity of intestinal contents supernatants was measured using a Wells-Brookfield cone/plate viscometer, and the means of treatment groups ranged from 6 to 6532 mPa·s. Relative to dietary cellulose, all viscosity grades of HPMC resulted in significantly lower cholesterol absorption efficiency, lower plasma cholesterol concentration, and lower liver cholesteryl ester content. The logarithm of intestinal contents ex vivo viscosity was inversely correlated with dietary cholesterol absorption (r² = 0.84, P = 0.028). Furthermore, dietary cholesterol absorption was positively correlated with plasma cholesterol concentration (r² = 0.89, P = 0.017) and liver cholesteryl ester content (r² = 0.96, P = 0.0031). Thus, the data suggest an independent role of intestinal contents viscosity in lowering plasma cholesterol concentration and liver cholesteryl ester content by reducing cholesterol absorption efficiency.

KEY WORDS: • dietary fiber • viscosity • cholesterol absorption • plasma cholesterol • hamsters

¹ Presented in part at Experimental Biology 94, April 24–28, 1994, Anaheim, CA [Hassel, C. A., Yang, C.-H. & Gallaher, D. D. (1994) Relationship between intestinal contents viscosity, cholesterol absorption efficiency, and plasma cholesterol concentration in the hamster. FASEB J. 8: A452 (abs.)].

² Paper no. 21,936 of the scientific series of the Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station on research conducted under the Minnesota Experiment Station project 18-058 and 18-059.

³ The costs of publication of this article were defrayed in part by the payment of page charges. This article must therefore be hereby marked "advertisement" in accordance with 18 USC section 1734 solely to indicate this fact.

⁴ To whom correspondence should be addressed.

Manuscript received 10 July 1995. Revision accepted 25 January 1996.

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