Abstract
The effect of cholesterol feeding (3 g/day) on bile acid synthesis was examined in 10 New Zealand white rabbits (NZW), 8 Watanabe heterozygous and 10 homozygous rabbits with partial and complete deficiencies of LDL receptors. After 10 days of cholesterol feeding, bile fistulas were constructed and bile acid pool sizes were measured. Cholesterol feeding increased plasma and hepatic cholesterol levels in all rabbit groups. Baseline bile acid pool sizes were smaller (P < 0.01) in heterozygotes (139 ± 3 mg) and homozygotes (124 ± 30 mg) than NZW rabbits (254 ± 44 mg). After feeding cholesterol, bile acid pool sizes doubled with increased cholic acid synthesis in NZW and, to a lesser extent, in Watanabe heterozygous rabbits but not in homozygotes. Baseline cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase activity in NZW and heterozygotes declined 69% and 53% (P < 0.001), respectively, after cholesterol feeding. Sterol 27-hydroxylase activity reflecting alternative bile acid synthesis increased 66% (P < 0.01) in NZW and 37% in Watanabe heterozygotes but not in homozygotes after feeding cholesterol. Bile fistula drainage stimulated cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase activity but not sterol 27-hydroxylase activity in all thr ee rabbit groups.▪ These results demonstrated that dietary cholesterol increased hepatic sterol 27-hydroxylase activity and alternative bile acid synthesis to expand the bile acid pool and inhibited cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase in NZW and in Watanabe heterozygous rabbits but not in homozygotes with absent hepatic LDL receptor function. Thus, in rabbits, sterol 27-hydroxylase is up-regulated by the increased hepatic cholesterol that enters the liver via LDL receptors whereas cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase is controlled by the circulating hepatic bile acid flux.—Xu, G., G. Salen, S. Shefer, G. S. Tint, L. B. Nguyen, T. T. Parker, T. S. Chen, J. Roberts, X. Kong, and D. Greenblatt. Regulation of classic and alternative bile acid synthesis in hypercholesterolemic rabbits: effects of cholesterol feeding and bile acid depletion.
Highlights
The effect of cholesterol feeding (3 g/day) on bile acid synthesis was examined in 10 New Zealand white rabbits (NZW), 8 Watanabe heterozygous and 10 homozygous rabbits with partial and complete deficiencies of low density lipoprotein (LDL) receptors
After cholesterol feeding, bile acid pool sizes doubled in the NZW and Watanabe heritable hyperlipidemic (WHHL) heterozygotes which resulted in further inhibition of cholesterol 7␣-hydroxylase activity to the depressed levels found at baseline in the WHHL homozygotes
We demonstrated that the accumulation of hepatic cholesterol, via LDL receptors after cholesterol feeding, stimulated sterol 27-hydroxylase and alternative bile acid synthesis that increased the bile acid pool in NZW rabbits with normal LDL receptors and moderately in WHHL heterozygotes with partially deficient LDL receptor function
Summary
The effect of cholesterol feeding (3 g/day) on bile acid synthesis was examined in 10 New Zealand white rabbits (NZW), 8 Watanabe heterozygous and 10 homozygous rabbits with partial and complete deficiencies of LDL receptors. Baseline bile acid pool sizes were smaller (P Ͻ 0.01) in heterozygotes (139 ؎ 3 mg) and homozygotes (124 ؎ 30 mg) than NZW rabbits (254 ؎ 44 mg). Bile acid pool sizes doubled with increased cholic acid synthesis in NZW and, to a lesser extent, in Watanabe heterozygous rabbits but not in homozygotes. Sterol 27-hydroxylase activity reflecting alternative bile acid synthesis increased 66% (P Ͻ 0.01) in NZW and 37% in Watanabe heterozygotes but not in homozygotes after feeding cholesterol. Bile fistula drainage stimulated cholesterol 7␣-hydroxylase activity but not sterol 27-hydroxylase activity in all thr ee rabbit groups These results demonstrated that dietary cholesterol increased hepatic sterol 27-hydroxylase activity and alternative bile acid synthesis to expand the bile acid pool and inhibited cholesterol 7␣-hydroxylase in NZW and in Watanabe heterozygous rabbits but not in homozygotes with absent hepatic LDL receptor function.
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