Oxycholesterol Hard on the Heart

SJ Green 08/28/2009 07:47

Overly processed foods that are exposed to air and heat result in the development of harmful oxysterols or oxidized cholesterol -- specifically, 7 beta-hydroxycholesterol, 7-ketocholesterol, and 5 beta, 6 beta-epoxycholesterols -- the culprits found in cholesterol-rich diets that are associated with atherosclerosis.
Chen’s studies confirm the pioneering work by Staprans and colleagues at the VA Medical Center in San Francisco published a series of paper between 1993 to 2000 in American Heart Association's publication 'Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular biology' showing that the consumption of oxysterols increases the development of atherogenic oxidized LDLs.
Preclinical studies,showed that a diet enriched in these oxidized cholesterols resulted in a 100% increase in fatty streak lesions (the early stage of atherosclerosis) in the aorta with increased levels of oxysterols in the atherosclerotic plaques itself. Clearly, western diets containing high concentrations of oxidized cholesterol products increase the serum levels of oxidized cholesterol-rich LDLs which, in turn, concentrate in atherosclerotic plaques.
Nearly a half a century ago, researchers showed that production of cholesterol antibodies and the immunologic clearance of LDL might be a useful strategy to reduce serum cholesterol levels and dietary-induced aortic atherosclerosis. A number of independent reports over the past decade have correlated high levels of anticholesterol antibodies with a significant reduction of both diet-induced hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerotic lesions. Humans with peripheral atherosclerosis and cerebrovascular disease reportedly have low levels of circulating cholesterol antibodies.
Recent studies by Origo Biosciences found that naturally-occurring anticholesterol antibodies bind four times higher to oxidized cholesterol LDL than for the native non-oxidized LDLs. The source of oxidized cholesterol in LDLs originates as cholesterol-rich micelles in the gut through the introduction of processed foods. Hence, gut micelles rich in oxidized cholesterols become an attractive target for anticholesterol antibodies.
Naturally-occurring anti-cholesterol antibodies may serve an ‘immuno-housekeeping’ or protective role by facilitating the clearance of oxidized cholesterol-rich particles in both the blood stream and in the gut. Interestingly, Origo Biosciences found these antibodies are in certain sources of dairy. Certified anticholesterol-active whey and milk may present a viable and highly functional ingredient for a variety of foods, beverages, and supplements that can be offered to a board audience to prevent the absorption of dietary sources of oxidized cholesterol in the gut.
Based on previous human clinical correlates, Origo believes that this level of inhibition of cholesterol absorption should translate to serum cholesterol reductions in excess of 20% as a food-based monotherapy and should exhibit significant synergistic activity when used in combination with cholesterol-lowering supplements and therapeutics. However, the most attractive observation is that these dairy-derived antibodies may block oxidized cholesterol or oxysterol update in the body.