Concentration and Distribution of Cholesterol in Muscle and Adipose Tissue.

Abstract

Analyses are reported for cholesterol contents of muscle and adipose tissue from beef, veal, pork, pig, mutton, lamb, rabbit, chicken and man. It is shown that a large proportion of cholester in muscle is not attributable to residual adipose tissue or any tissue of similar composition. Concentration of cholesterol in muscle, apart from associated adipose tissue, is of the order of 40 to 50 mg/100 g in adult mammals studied and in dark meat of chickens. Higher values were found in 2 elderly human beings. Corresponding cholesterol concentration in white meat of chicken is of the order of 30 mg/100 g. There is a general tendency for muscle cholesterol concentration to be considerably higher in young, growing animals than in adults of the same species. This reinforces the theory that most cholesterol in muscle has a definite metabolic or structural function. In species other than man cholesterol content of ether extract of adipose tissue was between 80 and 150 mg/100 g, the corresponding limits in 5 human subjects were 100 and 400 mg/100 g.