Prickly pear induces upregulation of liver LDL binding in familial heterozygous hypercholesterolemia.

BACKGROUND The hypoglycemic effect of prickly pear is well known by native local Indian population since a long time. Beside the beneficial effects on lipid metabolism, oxidation injury and platelet function has been claimed in experimental animals. We recently found an upregulation of apo-B/E receptor. MATERIAL AND METHODS We therefore examined 10 patients with isolated heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) being enrolled in a dietary run-in phase of 6 weeks after dietary counselling and a further 6 weeks of prickly pear addition. Uptake of autologous (123)I-radiolabeled LDL was determined at entry as well as after 6 weeks of daily prickly pear ingestion. RESULTS We found a significant (p < 0.0001) increase in LDL-uptake by the liver (24.5 +/- 4.9 vs. 31.1 +/- 5.2%) and an enhanced decay in circulating blood. Total (298.0 --> 268.0 mg/dl; p < 0.0001) and LDL-cholesterol (210.5 --> 176.4 mg/dl; p = 0.0001) were significantly affected, while HDL (p = 0.0629) and triglycerides were not. CONCLUSIONS These findings demonstrate a significant upregulation of (123)I-LDL binding by prickly pear in FH-patients invivo and indicate that prickly pear exerts a significant hypolipidemic action via receptor upregulation.