Prebiotic fibres have been proposed to promote weight loss and lower serum cholesterol; however, the mechanisms are not fully understood. The aim of the present research was to identify possible mechanisms through which prebiotic fibres improve serum lipids. Lean and obese JCR:La-cp rats aged 8 weeks consumed one of three diets supplemented with 0, 10 or 20 % prebiotic fibre for 10 weeks. Rats were anaesthetised and a fasting blood sample was taken for lipid analysis. Real-time PCR was used to determine gene expression for cholesterol and fatty acid regulatory genes in liver tissue. Liver and caecal digesta cholesterol and TAG content were quantified. Both doses of prebiotic fibre lowered serum cholesterol levels by 24 % in the obese hyperlipidaemic rats (P < 0·05). This change was associated with an increase in caecal digesta as well as an up-regulation of genes involved in cholesterol synthesis and bile production. Additionally, there was a 42 % reduction in TAG accumulation in the liver of the obese rats with 10 % prebiotic diet (P < 0·05); however, no change in liver fatty acid synthase (FAS). Prebiotic fibres appear to lower cholesterol levels through increased cholesterol excretion in the form of bile and inhibit the accumulation of TAG in the liver through a mechanism unrelated to FAS. These effects appear to be limited to the obese model and particularly the 10 % dose. The present work is significant as it provides insight into the mechanisms of action for prebiotic fibres on lipid metabolism and furthers the development of dietary treatments for hypercholesterolaemia.

Developing and adult Schistosoma mansoni and S. haematobium intact worms do not bind specific antibodies, likely because of structural and biochemical modifications of the outer lipid bilayer. We have estimated the amount of cholesterol in the apical membrane of adult schistosomes via extraction with the membrane-impermeable, cholesterol-binding drug, methyl-β-cyclodextrin (MBCD), followed by filipin staining of the worms, and evaluation of the amount of cholesterol released in the medium by a commercially available, enzymatic colorimetric assay. Positive correlations between amount of released cholesterol, MBCD concentration, and worm number and age provided evidence for the sensitivity and validity of the newly developed method. Treatment with 40 mm MBCD for 2 h at 37°C led to total loss of cholesterol from the worm outer membrane, as assessed by filipin staining, and the released cholesterol values were used to estimate the amount of cholesterol per worm and per an approximate surface area unit. Additionally, total depletion of outer membrane cholesterol was associated with exposure of surface membrane antigens to specific antibody binding in 50% and 70% of S. haematobium and S. mansoni worms, respectively. These findings together suggest that cholesterol is an essential, but not the sole, factor in sequestration of surface membrane antigens in schistosomes.