Hypolipidemic activity of aliphatic dicarboxylic acids in rodents.

Abstract

Small molecular weight aliphatic dicarboxylic acids, i.e. dimethylmalonic acid, diethylmalonic acid and maleic acid, afford greater than 35% reduction in serum cholesterol and triglycerides levels in CF1 mice at 20 mg/kg/day, i.p. Furthermore, these agents lowered greater than 40% serum cholesterol levels in rat after oral administration at 20 mg/kg/day. Dimethylmalonic and diethylmalonic acids lowered rat serum triglyceride levels by at least 23%. Rat tissue lipids, e.g. liver, small intestinal mucosa and aorta wall, were reduced in concentration and fecal lipids were elevated by dimethyl- and diethylmalonic acids. Rat serum lipoproteins after 14 days of treatment demonstrated reduction of VLDL and LDL cholesterol levels with elevated HDL cholesterol levels by dimethylmalonic and maleic acids. The agents also inhibited de novo hepatic enzyme activities, specifically mitochondrial citrate exchange, acetyl-CoA synthetase, ATP-dependent citrate lyase, acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase, cholesterol-7 alpha-hydroxyase, sn-glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase and phosphatidate phosphohydrolase, which would result in the reduction of de novo synthesis of fatty acids, cholesterol and triglycerides.