Hypercholesterolemia is known to enhance the risk of
coronary heart disease and
fatty liver.
Colestimide is an
anion-exchange resin, which is not absorbed in the small intestine, decreases the intestinal reabsorption of
bile acids synthesized from
cholesterol in the liver and consequently increases
bile acid excretion into the feces.
Bofu-tsusho-san, a traditional Japanese herbal remedy, contains 18 components and has long been used as an
anti-obesity agent. In the present study, we investigated the effects of
colestimide and/or Bohu-tsusho-san in young male mice fed a high-fat diet. The high-fat diet supplemented with both
colestimide and
Bofu-tsusho-san markedly reduced the plasma levels of
lipids, the liver weight and number of fatty droplets in the liver cytoplasm, and the body growth, compared with animals fed a high-fat diet alone. Neither medicine affected the blood biochemistry. Thus, the hypocholesterolemic action of
colestimide, sometimes bringing light
flatulence, which is improved by simultaneous administration of
Bofu-tsusho-san, which activates the thermogenesis of brown adipose tissue, is suggested to reduce body mass and liver
lipids, lowering the plasma levels of
lipids.