Conditions: Metabolic Syndrome X
Allocation: RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: CROSSOVER
Enrollment: 20
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
Ezetimibe has been shown to inhibit cholesterol absorption and several lines of evidence from in vitro systems and animal models suggest that this effect is associated with an increase in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor expression in the small intestine. The impact of a treatment with ezetimibe on intestinal gene expression and protein mass levels of LDL receptor and other key genes involved in intestinal cholesterol homeostasis will be examined in dyslipidemic men with insulin-resistance. In the present study, gene expression studies and protein mass levels will be assessed on duodenal biopsies by real-time polymerase chain reaction (rt-PCR) and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), respectively. The primary objective of this proposal is to examine the effects of ezetimibe on intestinal gene expression (rt-PCR) and protein mass levels (LC-MS/MS) of LDL receptor in dyslipidemic men with insulin-resistance. The secondary objective is to examine the impact of ezetimibe treatment on intestinal gene expression and protein mass levels of sterol regulatory element-binding protein (SREBP)-2, Niemann-Pick C1-Like1 (NPC1L1), ATP binding cassette gene (ABCG)-5/8, proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) and 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-CoA (HMG CoA) reductase.

Primary hypothesis Treatment with ezetimibe 10 mg/day will significantly increase duodenal mRNA and protein mass levels of LDL receptor in dyslipidemic men with insulin-resistance.

Secondary hypothesis Treatment with ezetimibe 10 mg/day will significantly increase duodenal mRNA and protein mass levels of SREBP-2, NPC1L1, ABCG5/8, PCSK9 and HMG CoA reductase in dyslipidemic men with insulin-resistance.

Detailed description:

Arms:
arm 1: None arm 2: None

Interventions: intervention 1: Ezetimibe intervention 2: Placebo
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: Ezetimibe 10 mg/d for 12 weeks intervention 2: Placebo for 12 weeks

Protocol document: