Dietary resveratrol increases the expression of hepatic 7α-hydroxylase and ameliorates hypercholesterolemia in high-fat fed C57BL/6J mice.

Background: Resveratrol (RSV), a naturally occurring polyphenolic stilbenoid, is known to possess potent anti-atherogenic properties; however, the effect of RSV on hypercholesterolemia is not fully understood. We hypothesized that RSV decreases blood cholesterol levels through the activation of cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase (CYP7A1)-mediated bile acid synthetic pathway pathways in vitro and in vivo.

Methods: In this study, we evaluated body weight, serum lipid concentrations, hepatic lipid content and the size of the bile acid pool in high-fat diet (HFD)-fed C57BL/6 J mice that were treated with RSV.