Hormonal control of cholesterol cholelithiasis in the female hamster

Abstract

Male golden Syrian hamsters from Sasco form cholesterol gallstones when fed a lithogenic diet; in contrast, female hamsters are resistant to stones when fed the identical diet. Upon addition of the synthetic androgen, methyl-testosterone, to the diet, the incidence of cholesterol gallstones in female hamsters increased from 0% to 40% after 3 weeks and from 0% to 86% after 6 weeks. Cholesterol cholelithiasis remained high in the males. Biliary cholesterol and phospholipid levels were elevated in the females fed the hormone and approached those of the males. The cholesterol saturation of bile in the females increased from 36% to 75% after 3 weeks and from 54% to 109% after 6 weeks. In addition, an appreciable proportion of the cholesterol in the bile of female hamsters was now present in the form of vesicles. The bile acid composition was significantly altered by methyltestosterone even though the total bile acid concentration did not change; the bile acid composition of the female hamsters approached that of the males. The glycine to taurine ratio of the bile acids was drastically reduced by methyltestosterone in the females and to a lesser extent in males. In summary, in female hamsters the addition of methyltestosterone to the lithogenic diet induced cholesterol gallstones, elevated total biliary phospholipid and cholesterol, altered the bile acid composition, and changed the distribution of cholesterol from micelles to vesicles. The data obtained so far do not enable us to define the precise mechanism of action of methyltestosterone.