of serum was assayed for total cholesterol in 1 ml of 0 15m tris buffer ph 7 0 containing p chlorophenol 0 1 cholesterol oxidase 0 13 u ml cholesterol ester hydrolase 0 13 u ml peroxidase 2 4 u m l and 4 aminoantipyrine 0 015 assays were carried out at 37 u00b0 c for 10 min along with cholesterol standards and the absorbance of the resultant red quinone pigment was determined spectrophotometrically at 505 nm hamsters fed a 0 5 cholesterol containing diet for 7 days showed a 2 fold increase in plasma cholesterol the increase in plasma cholesterol is primarily in vldl and ldl schnitzer polokoff et al comp biochem physiol 99a 1991 p 665 670 compound a at 3 mg kg day resulted in a 15 reduction in plasma cholesterol levels while lovastatin had no effect at 10 mg kg day table 1 when compound a and lovastatin were given in combination a reduction in plasma cholesterol levels of 31 was found which was significantly greater than either treatment alone table 1 table 1______________________________________ dose hamstergroup mg kg day n plasma cholesterol mg dl ______________________________________control 6 227 u00b1 6compound a 3 4 192 u00b1 6 sup alovastatin 10 4 223 u00b1 14compound a 3 4 156 u00b1 11 sup a blovastatin 10______________________________________ values are means u00b1 sem sup a p lt 0 05 compared to control group sup b p lt 0 05 compared to either compound a alone or lovastatin alone hypocholesterolemic effect of compound a in combination with lovastatin in cholesterol fed rabbits male new zealand white rabbits weighing 2 4 2 6 kg were challenged for one week with a diet containing 1 cholesterol and.