Oat fiber inhibits atherosclerotic progression through improving lipid metabolism in ApoE−/− mice

Abstract Cardiovascular diseases caused by atherosclerosis have become one of the leading cause of death. The aim of the present study was to explore how oat fiber regulated lipid metabolism and to elucidate its anti-atherosclerotic potential in ApoE −/− mice. Animals were daily fed a high-fat diet without or with 0.8% oat fiber for 18 weeks. Both serum total cholesterol and low-density cholesterol levels decreased in mice received oat fiber administration than those without Oat fiber inhibited hepatic lipid accumulation by downregulating SREBP-1 expression and accelerated clearance of intestinal cholesterol by upregulating SREBP-2 expression. In addition, oat fiber activated cholesterol sensors LXRα, and then strengthened hepatic and intestinal cholesterol efflux by increasing ATP-binding cassette A1 and G1, and decreased intestinal cholesterol absorption by inhibiting Niemann pick C 1 like 1. The findings implicated that oat fiber had an anti-atherosclerotic potential via mechanisms of activating the SREBPs/LXRα pathway and improving lipid metabolism.