Effects of chronic ethanol administration on hepatic cholesterol and bile acid synthesis in relation to serum high density lipoprotein cholesterol in rats.

In ethanol-fed rats for 4 or 7 weeks, hepatic HMG-CoA reductase activity was significantly increased, and correlated positively with hepatic microsomal gamma-GTP activity. By contrast, hepatic cholesterol 7 alpha-hydroxylase activity was decreased in these rats. The content of hepatic cholesterol and levels of serum cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol were significantly increased in these rats, correlating significantly with hepatic HMG-CoA reductase activity, but not with hepatic cholesterol 7 alpha-hydroxylase activity. These results suggest that the increase in serum levels of cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol by ethanol feeding is mainly regulated by the enhanced cholesterol synthesis in the liver.