Effect of KCD-232, a new hypolipidemic agent, on serum lipoprotein changes in hepatoma-bearing rats

Changes in serum lipoprotein profiles were characterized in Donryu rats subcutaneously implanted with an ascites hepatoma line of AH109A cells and the effect of a new hypolipidemic agent with a structure of 4-(4'-chlorobenzyloxy)benzyl nicotinate (KCD-232) was estimated. With the growth of hepatoma for periods of up to three weeks, a striking decrease in the high density lipoprotein (HDL) fraction and an enormous increase in the VLDL + LDL (very low density lipoprotein + low density lipoprotein) fraction were found in hepatoma-bearing rats when either precipitation method or electrophoresis was used. These lipoprotein profiles were not influenced by sex. Judging from the electrophoretogram, the increase in VLDL + LDL fraction was due mainly to an increase in VLDL fraction. The oral administration of KCD-232 significantly suppressed the hepatoma-induced increase in VLDL + LDL with little or no influence on the hepatoma-induced decrease in HDL. There existed a positive correlation between the hepatoma weight and (VLDL + LDL)-cholesterol concentration and a negative one between hepatoma and HDL-cholesterol.