Effects of benfluorex on sterol biosynthesis in incubated human blood mononuclear cells

The hypocholesterolaemic drug Benfluorex has been shown to inhibit the rate of sterol synthesis in rat hepatocytes. At present no data on a similar effect in human cells are available. The results of the present study demonstrate that Benfluorex has an inhibitory activity on the incorporation of 14C-acetate and of 14C-HMG-CoA into non-saponifiable lipids in human blood mononuclear cells incubated in lipid-deficient medium. The lack of effect on the incorporation of 14C-mevalonate into non-saponifiable lipids strongly suggests that the reduction of sterol biosynthesis is mainly due to the inhibition of HMG-CoA reductase activity.