American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol 9, 760-763, Copyright © 1961 by The American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc.

Studies of Serum Desmosterol Levels in Hypercholesteremic Subjects Treated with Triparanol (MER-29)

¹ From the Lucy and Henry Moses Laboratories, Medical Division, Montefiore Hospital, New York, New York

The concentration of desmosterol, the immediate precursor of cholesterol in the synthetic chain, was followed in the serum of ten patients with disorders of lipid metabolism and hypercholesteremia given triparanol (MER-29) for a prolonged period.

All subjects demonstrated falls in total sterol (desmosterol plus cholesterol) levels which averaged 17 per cent. This was significant, but less than the average fall in serum cholesterol of 37 per cent. During triparanol administration, the maximum increase of desmosterol averaged 167 mg. per 100 ml., which represented 37 per cent of the total sterol. Progressive increases in serum desmosterol levels as triparanol therapy continued did not occur. It is not yet known whether the presence of desmosterol in serum in these amounts can produce harmful effects.