Hypocholesterolemic Effect of -Ketoglutarate in the Mongolian Gerbil

In an effort to elucidate the mechanism of the hypocholesterolemic effect of glutamic acid previously demonstrated in the Mongolian gerbil, several amino acid formula diets have been studied. The diets containing amino acids which could be readily converted to α-ketoglutarate were hypocholesterolemic, while the diets containing amino acids not readily converted to α-ketoglutarate were not. The diet containing α-ketoglutarate was the most effective.