Atherogenic aspects of desmosterol metabolism caused by prolonged triparanol administration

Mongolian gerbils treated with triparanol at the dose levels of 12.5, 25.0, and 50.0 mg/kg body weight for forty weeks resulted in a decrease of blood and liver cholesterol when compared to the controls injected with Wesson Oil. No desmosterol was detected by gas chromatography of control gerbils. However, those treated with 12.5, 25.0 and 50.0 mg of triparanol showed an increase of desmosterol in the blood and liver as the dosage was increased. The total sterols of the liver were lowered by this drug. Microscopic grading of the aorta showed that no lesions were observed in the controls. In the triparanol treated group, the number of gerbils having lesions were increased as the dosage was increased. No lesions were observed in the coronary arteries of any group.