Figure 3. Influence of cholesterol and/or cholic acid and added ezetimibe (EZ) on geometric centres with respect to intestinal transit times.
A, mice fed the 1.0% cholesterol + 0.5% cholic acid diet display significantly prolonged small intestinal transit (9.7 ± 1.2) compared with the chow diet group (12.5 ± 0.4) and the 1.0% cholesterol diet group (13.1 ± 0.4). Small intestinal transit of mice on either the 1.0% cholesterol or 0.5% cholic acid (12.1 ± 0.6) diet is equivalent to that of mice on chow diet. B, the addition of EZ (60 mg kg−1) to chow diet does not alter small intestinal transit (13.4 ± 0.5). In the EZ + 1.0% cholesterol diet group (12.7 ± 0.7) and in the LD + EZ group (12.8 ± 0.3), small intestinal motility is also statistically equivalent to the chow diet group. C, small intestinal transit in the LD + EZ group is significantly faster than in mice fed LD (geometric centres are 12.8 ± 0.3 and 9.4 ± 0.5, respectively; P= 0.0002), and the LD + EZ values are essentially the same as for mice fed chow (12.5 ± 0.4). Therefore, slowing of small intestinal transit can be reversed completely by blocking intestinal cholesterol absorption with the drug. *P < 0.05; Ch, cholesterol; CA, cholic acid.