Effects of Dipeptides Having a C-Terminal Lysine on the Cholesterol 7α-Hydroxylase mRNA Level in HepG2 Cells

Abstract

Inducing expression of the cholesterol-catabolizing enzyme cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase (CYP7A1) in the liver can be an effective strategy in preventing hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis. We used HepG2 cells to investigate the effects of 1 mM dipeptides having a C-terminal lysine group on the CYP7A1 mRNA level. We found that the dipeptides Asp-Lys, Glu-Lys, and Trp-Lys significantly increased the CYP7A1 mRNA level.