Lipogenesis and Cholesterol Turnover in the Chick as Influenced by Dietary Lithocholic Acid

Summary

Liver slices from chicks ingesting lithocholic acid incorporated more acetate-1-¹⁴C and glucose-U-¹⁴C into cholesterol and fatty acids than did similar preparations from control chicks. The oxidation of glucose-U-¹⁴C and glucose-1-¹⁴C by liver slices of lithocholic acid-fed animals was enhanced. The activity of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase was greater in the liver of lithocholic acid-fed as compared to control chicks, indicating an increased pentose shunt pathway activity. Cholesterol turnover studies demonstrated an increased “half-life” for chicks fed lithocholic acid, 77.7 versus 57.9 hours for lithocholic acid-fed and control chicks, respectively.