Evaluation of the effect of different doses of folic acid supplementation on serum lipid profiles in experimental obstructive cholestasis in rat

Hypercholesterolemia was the result of the cholestasis and failure of cholesterol and bile salts clearance through the bile duct.The main proposal of this study is to investigate the effect of folic acid supplementation on serum lipids composition in a rat model of cholestasis. 81 male Wistar rats were randomly divided into nine experimental groups with 9 rats in each group.Group 1, normal control rats ,Group 2, sham-operated rats (The rats in this group underwent the same procedure except that the bile duct ligation) ,Group 3, cholestatic rats ,Groups 4-6, folic acid control rats;Groups 7-9, cholestatic rats treated with folic acid; Folic acid treated groups were given folic acid (1,5,10 mg/kg) respectively , once a day by gavage for 28 days. Cholestasis was produced by Bile Duct Ligation (BDL). Serum samples were analyzed biochemically and lipids profile were measured according to standard protocols. cholestatic rats group showed higher concentrations of total cholesterol (TC) , triglyceride (TG) and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) in serum. Administration of folic acid supplementation , significantly decreased the serum levels of TC , TG, and LDL and increased the serum level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL). Cholestasis induced hypercholesterolemia and Folic acid supplementation showed hypolipidemic and hypocholesterolemic effects in cholestatic rats. These effects on the lipid profile varied with the different concentrations of folic acid. Our result suggested that Folic acid can be used an antilipidemic agent in pation with cholestasis.