The administration to rats of cholesta-3:5-dien-7-one

Abstract

Cholesta-3:5-dien-7-one given to rats at dosages between 25 and 100 mg/day is slowly and partially absorbed from the lumen of the gut. Some of it is isomerized very probably to cholesta-4:6-dien-3-one and subsequently reduced to cholest-4-en-3-one, but the major part disappears to form unidentified products. Some of the administered dienone is converted into digitonin-precipitable steroids showing no selective absorption in the region 220-400 mu and other constituents of fecal unsaponifiable matter, together with organic acids. Small amounts of dienones are found in the livers of the dosed rats. Since cholestadienones are formed by rats on a diet supplemented with cholesterol, the metabolic sequence, cholesta-3:5-dien-7-one...[forward arrow] cholesta-4:6-dien-3-one [forward arrow] cholesta-4:en-3-one [forward arrow] coprostan-3 beta-ol...organic acids may have some significance in normal conditions. There is some evidence that the suggested partial metabolic scheme is oversimplified.