Effect of Dinitrophenol, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Bicarbonate, and Citric Acid upon Distribution of Cholesterol

Abstract

The report of Marie that sodium citrate administered by mouth or intravenously reduced the blood cholesterol of rabbits 60% led us to try its effect upon blood cholesterol of other species. It is of interest in this connection to note that dogs with a hyperpyrexia induced by the administration of 10 mg./kg. dinitrophenol showed an increase in blood cholesterol, the initial value of 161 mg. % being elevated to 285 mg. % 2 hours after injection of the drug. These observations led us to continue the study with albino rats. Five groups of 5 rats each were placed upon a diet similar to that suggested by Chanutin and Ludewig, in which extracted casein was substituted for extracted dried beef. To this cholesterol deficient diet, cholesterol was then added to the extent of 2%. The first group of rats received no supplement and served as control animals. In the second group, each animal received a daily subcutaneous injection of 1 mg. dinitrophenol per 100 gm. body weight. To the third, 0.2 gm. sodium citrate per 100 gm. body weight was given in aqueous solution by stomach tube. The fourth and fifth groups received NaHCO3 and citric acid solutions, respectively, by stomach tube, in order to determine, if possible, the ion responsible for any change in the distribution of cholesterol. These 2 substances were given in amounts furnishing separately the same quantities of sodium and citrate ions as received by the animals in Group 3 on the sodium citrate supplement. Each animal of the fourth group, therefore, received 0.14 gm. NaHCO3, and of the fifth group 0.11 gm. citric acid daily, per 100 gm. body weight. At the end of 3 days the rats were killed, the blood from each group pooled and analyzed for total and free cholesterol, total fatty acids, and lipoid P.