Inhibition of hepatic cholesterol biosynthesis by chloroquine

Abstract
Chloroquine is shown to be a potent inhibitor of cholesterol biosynthesis by isolated rat hepatocytes. Half-maximal inhibition of cholesterogenesis occurs at ca. 10μM chloroquine. Chloroquine does not affect fatty acid synthesis by isolated hepatocytes. This suggests that chloroquine acts on the cholesterol biosynthetic pathway beyond the cytosolic acetyl-CoA branchpoint of cholesterol and fatty acid synthesis.