EFFECT OF DEUTECTOMY ON LEVELS OF BLOOD AND LIVER CHOLESTEROL AND ON THE INCORPORATION OF ACETATE AND MEVALONATE INTO LIVER CHOLESTEROL BY THE CHICK

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Abstract
The serum cholesterol level and the degree of incorporation of C14-acetate and C14-mevalonate into liver cholesterol has been studied in normal and deutectomized chicks.Serum and liver cholesterol levels in normal chicks decreased rapidly between 3 days and 5 days after hatching, and at 9 days of age the quantity of cholesterol stabilized at levels comparable to those of mature birds.Deutectomy significantly lowered serum cholesterol levels of the 5-day-old chicks but did not affect liver cholesterol levels.High levels of liver cholesterol in the 3-day-old chicks did not totally depress C14-acetate incorporation. Minimal C14-acetate incorporation was obtained when the chicks were 5 days of age and maximal incorporation occurred on the 15th day following hatching. C14-mevalonate incorporation into liver cholesterol was observed to be minimal when the chicks were 3 days of age and maximal when the chicks were 12 days of age.It is suggested that the chick might prove to be of value for the study of the control mechanisms in cholesterol metabolism.