We investigated the hypolipidemic effect of glycyrrhizic acid (GA) focused on the mRNA expression and hepatic HMG-CoA reductase (HMGR) activity in hamsters fed a high-fat diet. Male Syrian Golden hamsters were fed a high fat diet for 8 weeks for induction of dyslipidemia and were treated with GA and fenofibrate. The concentrations of plasma total cholesterol and triglyceride were significantly lower in the GA-treated group than in the control group. The GA treatment significantly decreased Apo B, Lp(a), and cholesterol-ester-transport protein (CETP) concentrations, but increased Apo A-I levels and the Apo A-I/ Apo B ratio. The contents of cholesterol and triglyceride in hepatic tissue were significantly lower in the GA group than in the control group. Real-time PCR analysis revealed that HMGR mRNA expression was significantly lower in the GA group than in the control group. These results indicate that GA treatment reduces plasma cholesterol by down-regulating hepatic HMGR mRNA expression in hamsters fed a high fructose-fat diet.

Division of Biochemistry Central Drug Research Institute Lucknow

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