EFFECT OF ALLOXAN, INSULIN, AND THYROXINE ON CHOLESTEROL AND FATTY ACID SYNTHESIS BY RAT LIVER HOMOGENATES

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Abstract
The in vitro effect of alloxan and insulin on the synthesis of cholesterol and fatty acids from 1-C14-sodium acetate by rat liver homogenates has been examined. Alloxan caused a reduction in the incorporation of acetate into cholesterol, fatty acids, and C14O2, but an increase in the oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production. The addition of insulin to homogenates caused a reduction in cholesterol synthesis but an increase in fatty acid synthesis both for normal and diabetic animals. Homogenates from thyrotoxic rats exhibited a marked reduction in cholesterol synthesis when compared with normal animals. C14O2production by homogenates from starved rats was appreciably lower than for those from normal animals. With this exception no appreciable difference was found in the oxygen uptake, carbon dioxide, or C14O2production in homogenates from normal, starved, thyroxine-treated, or diabetic animals. Synthesized cholesterol was found to be located principally in the particulate matter of the homogenates after they had been incubated with 1-C14-sodium acetate. Homogenates from starved rats showed no greater tendency to degrade preformed cholesterol during incubation than did those from normal rats.

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