Hypolipidemic effects of synthetic gugulsterones in normal rats and assessment of its long-term toxicity at cellular levels in various organs.

Synthetic gugulsterones when administered to rats for a period of 3 weeks in dose of 5.0 mg/kg body weight/day caused a reduction in levels of total cholesterol by 30%, LDL-chol. by 40%, Tg by 40%. VLDL-chol. by 40% and HDL-chol. by 35%. The drug when administered to rats for a period of 16 weeks with increasing dose upto 1150 mg/kg body weight/day, reduced VLDL-chol. and Tg. by 55% and 50% respectively (P < 0.001) and LDL-chol by 33% (P < 0.05), whereas HDL-chol. was increased by 25% (P < 0.001). Histopathological studies on liver, spleen, intestine, lung, kidney, stomach and adrenal gland revealed drug related changes in a few animals upon exposure to high dose of the drug.