Cholic Acid: An Adequate Stimulus for Hypercholesteremia in the Normal Fasting Rat.

Abstract

Male Long-Evans rats were prepared for continuous intraven. injn. of fluid by insertion of a flexible polyethylene catheter into the inferior vena cava of each animal via a lumbar tributary. Six of the animals received Na cholate in Tyrodes'' soln. by this route at a rate equivalent to 25 mg. of cholic acid per hr. Eight controls received Tyrodes'' soln. alone. Food was withheld for 24 hrs. before operation and during the expt. Plasma was analyzed for bile acids and cholesterol before, and 24 hrs. after, the beginning of the expt. In the exptl. group the avg. plasma concn. of bile acid increased from 4 to 24 mg./100 cc. during the injn. period; the avg. plasma cholesterol increased from 55 to 118 mg./lOO cc. No significant change occurred in these values in control animals. It is suggested that clinical hypercholesteremic states be investigated for possible prior hypercholatemia.