Effects of alcohol and cholesterol feeding on lipoprotein metabolism and cholesterol absorption in rabbits

Alcohol fed to rabbits in a liquid formula at 30% of calories increased pla sma cholesterol by 36% in the absence of dietary cholesterol and by 40% in the presence of a 0.5% cholesterol diet. The increase was caused almost ent irely by VLDL, IDL, and LDL. Cholesterol feeding decreased the fractional c atabolic rate for VLDL and LDL apoprotein by 80% and 57%, respectively, and increased the production rate of VLDL and LDL apoprotein by 75% and 15%, r espectively. Alcohol feeding had no effect on VLDL apoprotein production bu t increased LDL production rate by 55%. The efficiency of intestinal choles terol absorption was increased by alcohol. In the presence of dietary chole sterol, percent cholesterol absorption rose from 34.4+/-2.6% to 44.9+/-2.5% and in the absence of dietary cholesterol, from 84.3+/-1.4% to 88.9+/-1.0% . Increased cholesterol absorption and increased LDL production rate may be important mechanisms for exacerbation by alcohol of hypercholesterolemia i n the cholesterol-fed rabbit model.