PLASMA-LIPOPROTEIN CHOLESTEROL LEVELS IN RATS FED A DIET ENRICHED IN CHOLESTEROL AND CHOLIC-ACID

To investigate the effects of dietary cholesterol and cholic acid on p lasma cholesterol levels, rats fed a cholesterol-free diet or a diet e nriched in cholesterol (0.5% or 1%) with or without cholic acid supple mentation were studied for 4 weeks. Although 0.5% cholesterol suppleme ntation showed no effect on plasma total cholesterol and LDL-cholester ol levels in rats fed a diet without cholic acid caused an increase in plasma total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and VLDL-cholesterol levels in rats fed a cholesterol-rich diet. There was no significant change in HDL-cholesterol levels among the dietary groups. Rats fed a diet en riched in cholesterol have increased liver total lipids and total chol esterol contents. In addition, lower liver lipid peroxide concentratio n was found in rats fed a cholesterol-rich diet when compared with tho se fed the control diet. It is interesting that cholic acid supplement ation led to an increase in hepatic cholesterol content and a decrease in liver lipid peroxide concentration in rats fed a cholesterol-rich diet. Results from this study suggest that dietary cholesterol and cho lic acid might play an important role in regulation of lipid metabolis m in rats.