Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) exerts anticarcinogenic and antiatherosclerotic effects in animals. The present study was conducted to examine the effects of CLA on LDL receptor (LDLr) expression in HepG2 cells, and to evaluate whether the sterol response element binding protein 1 (SREBP-1) and acyl CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT) were involved in the regulation of LDLr expression by CLA. When HepG2 cells were cultured with serum-free DMEM for 48 h, there was a three- to fivefold (P<0.05) increase in LDLr protein and mRNA levels. Incubation of HepG2 cells in serum-free medium supplemented with 25-hydroxycholesterol (25OH, 5 mg/L) for 24 h decreased LDLr protein and mRNA by 50-70% (P<0.05) and mature SREBP-1 by 20-40% (P<0.05). CLA, but not linoleic acid, antagonized the depressive effects of 25OH and increased both LDLr protein and mRNA abundance twofold (P<0.05). LDLr protein and mRNA abundance were not different when HepG2 cells were cultured with CLA (0.4 mmol/L) plus 25OH in the presence or absence of an ACAT inhibitor (58-035, 1 mg/L). Furthermore, CLA had no effect on SREBP-1 abundance. These results suggest that CLA upregulates LDLr expression via a mechanism that is independent of ACAT and SREBP-1.