90. Bicyclol, a synthetic dibenzocyclooctadiene derivative, decreases hepatic lipids but increases serum triglyceride level in normal and hypercholesterolaemic mice.

Pan SY, Dong H, Yu ZL, Zhao XY, Xiang CJ, Wang H, Fong WF, Ko KM.

Department of Pharmacology, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing China.

Bicyclol is used for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B in China. In this study, the effects of bicyclol (100 or 300 mg kg(-1), p.o.) on serum and liver lipid contents were investigated in both normal and experimentally induced hypercholesterolaemic mice. Hypercholesterolaemia was induced by either oral administration of cholesterol/bile salt or feeding a diet containing lard/cholesterol. Daily administration of bicyclol for 7 days dose-dependently increased the serum triglyceride level (29-80%) but slightly decreased the hepatic total cholesterol level (12-17%) in normal mice. Co-administration of bicyclol with cholesterol/bile salt decreased the hepatic triglyceride and total cholesterol levels (7-15% and 25-31%, respectively), when compared with the drug-untreated and cholesterol/bile salt-treated group. Bicyclol treatment for 7 days decreased hepatic triglyceride (5-76%) and total cholesterol (5-48%) levels in mice fed with high-fat/cholesterol diet. In contrast, bicyclol treatment increased the serum triglyceride level (18-77%) in mice treated with cholesterol/bile salt or fed with high-fat/cholesterol diet. Bicyclol treatment also caused an increase in hepatic index of normal and hypercholesterolaemic mice (3-32%). The results indicate that bicyclol treatment can invariably decrease hepatic lipid levels and increase serum triglyceride levels in normal and hypercholesterolaemic mice.