FEEDBACK-CONTROL OF CHOLESTEROL-SYNTHESIS IN PARTIALLY HEPATECTOMIZED RATS

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  • 1 January 1976
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 450  (1) , 57-68
Abstract
Partial hepatectomy caused a marked stimulation of cholesterol and fatty acid syntheses without affecting serum total cholesterol, total phospholipid and triacylglycerol concentrations of rats examined 48 h after the operation. Serum free cholesterol level was increased by the treatment and the ratio of lysophosphatidylcholine to phosphatidylcholine was concomitantly decreased, suggesting the impairment of serum lecithin : cholesterol acyltransferase activity. The lipid content in the liver, especially triacylglycerol and cholesterol ester, was increased markedly by the operation. Feeding of a high cholesterol diet which to the partially hepatectomized rats elevated serum cholesterol and phospholipid levels and accelerated the accumulation of hepatic triacylglycerol and ester cholesterol. The weight of the regenerating liver was not influenced by cholesterol feeding, which suggested that cholesterol feeding did not inhibit the regeneration mechanism of the liver. The increase of cholesterol synthesis after partial hepatectomy was inhibited by cholesterol feeding. The large amount of the cholesterol which is necessary for cell growth can probably be taken up from serum, when serum cholesterol concentration is high.