GH002: A Novel and Potent Agents for Elevating HDL-Cholesterol

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the positive effect of GH002 on high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterolin vitroandin vivo. In vitro assay, effects of GH002 on apolipoprotein (apo) A-I was studied using stable-transfected HepG2 cells with recombinant vector including apoA-I promoter; Effects of GH002 on apoA-I, apoA-II and apoC-III production were determined using HepG2 cells.In vivoassay, Effects of GH002 on lipid profile were investigated in hyperlipidemic rats. The results showed that GH002 can effectively activate apoA-I promoter, enhance apoA-I and apoA-II secretionin vitro, whereas reduce apoC-III production significantly. Furthermore, afterin vivostudy that the hyperlipidemic rats were treated with GH002, HDL-cholesterol levels were increased significantly (P<0.01) at 2 weeks (100 mg/kg, 28.8%) and 3 weeks (30mg/kg, 19.8% and 100mg/kg, 36.4%, respectively) compared with control group. Triglyceride levels were reduced significantly at 2 and 3 weeks (19.5%,P<0.05 and 28.1%,P<0.01 respectively). Total cholesterol levels also were reduced at 3 weeks (19.1%,P<0.05) after 100mg/kg GH002 administration, but GH002 didn’t increase the ratio of liver/body weight compared with the control group at the end of the experiments. It is therefore reasonable to assume that GH002 is an effectively HDL-cholesterol enhancer by regulating apoA-I gene expression, consequently enhancing apoA-I, apoA-II secretion and reducing apoC-III production.