HDL biology
Garlic supplementation lowers CETP activity and shrinks atherosclerotic lesions in cholesterol-fed rabbits (Life Sci 2003)
Original title: Cholesteryl ester transfer protein activity and atherogenic parameters in rabbits supplemented with cholesterol and garlic powder
Rabbits fed a 1% cholesterol diet with a 1% garlic powder supplement for 12 weeks had significantly lower CETP activity than unsupplemented controls throughout the study (P<0.05). The garlic group also had significantly lower total cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL-cholesterol, VLDL-cholesterol, and atherogenic index, significantly higher HDL-cholesterol after 12 weeks, and significantly smaller atherosclerotic lesion area in the aortic arch (all P<0.05), with fewer fat droplet deposits on morphological examination and lower aortic and hepatic cholesterol and triglyceride. The authors conclude garlic is hypocholesterolemic and antiatherogenic, and that CETP inhibition by garlic supplementation may help delay atherosclerosis progression, supporting CETP's atherogenic role.
Original abstract
The current study was conducted to examine the effect of garlic supplementation on CETP activity, along with its anti-atherosclerotic effect in cholesterol-fed rabbits. Rabbits were fed a 1% cholesterol diet for 12 weeks, including a 1% garlic powder supplement. The garlic-supplemented group exhibited significantly lower CETP activity than the control group during the experimental period (P < 0.05). Among the atherogenic parameters, the total cholesterol, TG, LDL-C, VLDL-C, and atherogenic index were all significantly lower in the garlic group than in the control group during the experimental period (P < 0.05), whereas the HDL-C concentration was significantly higher in the garlic group than in the control group after 12 weeks (P < 0.05). Atherosclerotic lesion area in the aorta arch was also significantly lower in the garlic group (P < 0.05). In the morphological examination, the garlic-supplemented group exhibited far fewer fat droplet deposits than the control group. Furthermore, the garlic supplement also lowered the aortic and hepatic cholesterol, and triglyceride. Accordingly, the current results suggest that garlic exerts hypocholesterolemic and/or antiatherogenic and that plasma CETP activity might be a risk marker related with atherogenesis. As such, the inhibition of CETP activity may delay the progression of atherosclerosis, thereby supporting the atherogenicity of CETP and the inhibitory activity of garlic supplementation against CETP.
Summary written by cetpinhibition.org from the published abstract; figures as published. Page updated 19 August 2026. Methods.