Hypocholesterolemic activity of colestipol hydrochloride in SEA quail

Male SEA (Susceptible to Experimental Atherosclerosis) quail were fed a semi-purified diet containing 0.5% cholesterol for a period of one week. Colestipol hydrochloride was mixed with the diet at levels of 0.5% and 1.0%. In control animals total serum cholesterol increased from a basal level of 241 mg/dl to 820 mg/dl after one week on the cholesterol supplemented diet. At 0.5% colestipol hydrochloride treated animals experienced a change in serum cholesterol from 223 mg/dl to 528 mg/dl after one week of cholesterol feeding. Colestipol hydrochloride at 1.0% in the diet completely prevented any increase in serum cholesterol in response to the hypercholesterolemic diet. Total serum cholesterols in this treatment group were 258 and 222 mg/dl initially and after the one week treatment, respectively. These data demonstrate that the bile acid sequestrant colestipol hydrochloride clearly prevents the hypercholesterolemia produced by feeding male SEA quail a cholesterol supplemented diet. Based on this activity cholesterol fed SEA quail may be a convenient and practical model for the preclinical evaluation of new cholesterol lowering drugs which act via a mechanism of bile acid sequestration.