Effects of the new hypolipidemic agent F 2833 on plasma lipoprotein levels in normal and hyperlipidemic hamsters.

The present study analyzed the effects of the new hypolipidemic agent, F 2833, in male golden Syrian hamsters fed a standard diet or a diet supplemented with 0.06% cholesterol and 20% coconut oil. F 2833 did not detectably modify the blood lipid parameters studied in hamsters receiving the standard diet. After 28 days, the hyperlipidemic diet in untreated animals significantly increased plasma cholesterol, triglycerides and phospholipids (by 91, 138 and 61%, respectively) and in the different lipoprotein classes. Treatment with F 2833 (150 and 300 mg/kg/day) caused a dose-dependent reduction of the blood lipid parameters studied. At the higher dose, this decrease was significant for cholesterol (27%), triglycerides (48%) and plasma phospholipids (27%). With regard to the different classes of lipoproteins, a significant drop in cholesterol was observed in VLDL (38%) and LDL (29%), while that in HDL (22%) was not significant. Triglycerides were significantly lowered in all lipoprotein classes with a more pronounced effect in the VLDL pool (53%). F 2833 thus decreased plasma lipids in hamsters that were fed on hyperlipidemic diet to normal values observed in animals fed a standard diet. These results confirm and extend findings previously obtained in other animal species in which F 2833 was also shown to be an effective hypolipidemic drug.