Effect of triparanol on cholesterol absorption in rhesus monkeys

The drug, triparanol, a known inhibitor of cholesterol biosynthesis, was found to interfere with absorption of cholesterol in rhesus monkeys. The percent luminal cholesterol absorbed decreased by 13 and 21%, respectively, in the high- and low-responding monkeys when the drug was fed along with the low-cholesterol, low-plant sterol diet. When the diet contained large amounts of plant sterols, feeding of the drug also reduced the percent cholesterol absorption by the same order of magnitude. The results showed that triparanol decreased the absorption of endogenous cholesterol in rhesus monkeys. The effect of the drug on cholesterol absorption was independent of that of plant sterols. The mechanism(s) of the observed inhibitory effect of triparanol on cholesterol absorption is not clearly understood.