Observations Concerning Production and Excretion of Cholesterol in Mammals

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Abstract
Known amts. of cholesterol, as hypercholesteremic serum from rats with ligated biliary ducts, were injd. intraven. into Long-Evans strain male rats. When 8 rats were functionally hepatectomized, plasma cholesterol fell from an avg. post-injn. value of 202 mg./100 cc. to 182 mg./100 cc. at 6 hrs., and 159 mg./100 cc. at 12 hrs. 19 normal rats fell from an avg. of 192 mg./lOO cc. to 124 mg./lOO cc. at 6 hrs., 94 mg./lOO cc. at 12 hrs., and to normal (58 mg./lOO cc.) at 24 hrs. 7 eviscerated animals with functioning liver tissue and biliary cannulae removed excess plasma cholesterol almost as rapidly as normal rats. Rats with ligation of the bile duct retained a small part of the original ability to rid their plasma of excess cholesterol. Tissue analyses on 120 rats showed that at least 70% of the injd. cholesterol was stored in the liver, while not more than 26% appeared in the combined other organs (intestine, stomach, esophagus, heart, adrenals, pancreas, kidneys, spleen and testes). There was no deposition in the lungs. The liver destroyed cholesterol at a rate of 5.5 mg. per 12 hrs. The increase in excretion of bile acids in the 72 hrs. following cholesterol admn. accounted for at least 60% of the cholesterol which disappeared from the plasma of 10 rats.