Faculty Bibliography

Intravenous administration of 26-hydroxycholesterol to the rabbit with a bile fistula yielded cholic acid in proportions (84 and 86%) not significantly different from that derived from cholesterol. By contrast, the naturally occurring C27 bile acid 3 beta-hydroxy-5-cholestenoic acid yielded not more than 8% cholic acid. Thus initial 26-hydroxylation of cholesterol followed by 7-alpha-hydroxylation can provide sufficient amounts of cholic acid to be considered a quantitatively significant pathway for bile acid synthesis, and in addition it is the only pathway that can be the source of the circulating levels of C24 and C27 monohydroxy bile acids

The effect of doxazosin on cholesterol synthesis was determined by measuring the content of deuterium-enriched cholesterol in rabbit fibroblasts with and without receptors for low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and in hepatoma (Hep G2 cells). Doxazosin, at concentrations of 5-20 mumol/L, increased LDL binding to hepatic cells in a dose-related manner. Also, in these hepatic cells, doxazosin produced dose-related decreases in both newly synthesized cholesterol and cholesterol ester. In rabbit fibroblasts that were LDL receptor negative, de novo cholesterol synthesis was markedly reduced by increasing concentrations of doxazosin. Taken together, these results suggest that doxazosin may have a direct inhibitory effect on cholesterol synthesis independent of the LDL receptor. The inhibition of cholesterol synthesis by doxazosin may cause cells to compensate by upregulating the LDL receptor, thereby increasing the importation of lipoprotein cholesterol and reducing LDL cholesterol in the medium. This hypothesis supports findings in the clinical setting whereby doxazosin has a beneficial effect on the lipid profile, and suggests a useful additional property for this antihypertensive agent

1. The effects of 26-aminocholesterol and 26-thiacholesterol on cholesterol synthesis and LDL (low-density lipoprotein)-receptor activity were compared with naturally occurring 26-hydroxycholesterol utilizing both human fibroblasts and hepatoma (Hep G2) cells. 2. At equimolar concentrations (0.625 microM), down-regulation of LDL-receptor activity and cholesterol synthesis was greater with human fibroblasts than with Hep G2 cells. 3. At much higher concentrations (5-20 microM) the 26-thia analogue had little effect on either cholesterol synthesis or LDL-receptor activity

The regulation of bile acid synthesis was studied in rabbits after interruption of the enterohepatic circulation by choledochoureteral anastomosis. Total daily bile acid output was 772 +/- 130 (SD) mumol/24 h, of which greater than 95% was glycocholic acid. Administration of deoxycholic or cholic acid or their conjugates (300-800 mumol) or gall-bladder bile failed to down-regulate endogenous bile acid synthesis. In contrast, chenodeoxycholic acid administration did down-regulate bile acid synthesis, but this effect was related to the formation and excretion of lithocholic acid. This observation was confirmed by the finding that i.v. infusion of 10-20 mumol of either lithocholic acid or 3 beta-hydroxy-5-cholenoic acid significantly reduced cholic acid synthesis. Thus monohydroxy bile acids, derived from either hepatic or intestinal sources, participate in the down-regulation of bile acid synthesis