Class B scavenger receptor-mediated intestinal absorption of dietary beta-carotene and cholesterol

Beta-carotene and cholesterol absorption in wild type and scavenger receptor class B type I (SR-BI) knockout mice and the uptake of these lipids in vitro were measured using brush border membrane (BBM) vesicles. The analysis shows that ezetimibe, a representative of a new class of drugs that inhibit intestinal cholesterol absorption, blocks SR-BI- and CD36-facilitated uptake of cholesterol into COS-7 cells.