Description
Oxidosqualene cyclase (OSC) is a microsomal enzyme that catalyzes the cyclization of monooxidosqualene to lanosterol in the cholesterol synthetic pathway. Ro 48-
8071 is an inhibitor of oxidosqualene cyclase (OSC) that has low-
density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol lowering activity similar to the 3-
hydroxy-
3-
methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-
CoA) inhibitor simvastatin. It inhibits OSC from human liver microsomes and HepG2 cells with IC
50 values of approximately 6.5 nM and 1.5 nM, respectively. Ro 48-
8071 lowered LDL cholesterol ~40% in hamsters at a dose of 150 μg/kg without affecting high-
density lipoprotein levels and with no sign of liver toxicity. Ro 48-
8071 increases cytochrome P3A mRNA and protein levels in primary rat and murine hepatocyte cultures with a maximal effect at 30 μM.