Cholesterol metabolism in the genetically hypercholesterolemic rat (RICO). I. Measurement of turnover processes.

The rates of mobile cholesterol turnover processes were measured by the isotopic equilibrium method in normocholesterolemic (SW) and hypercholesterolemic homozygote (RICO) rats fed a semi-synthetic base diet containing 0.05% cholesterol. When the absorption rate is similar in SW and RICO rats, the internal secretion rate is 60% higher in RICO (25.3 mg/day) than in SW (16.2 mg/day). This increase is compensated by an increase in fecal excretion (RICO: 5 mg/day; SW: 3.8 mg/day), urinary excretion (RICO: 1.7 mg/day; SW: 1.1 mg/day) and above all the transformation of cholesterol into bile acids (RICO: 24.2 mg/day; SW: 15.3 mg/day). The fact that 70 minutes after [14C]acetate administration, the only variations obtained in RICO compared to SW rats are a doubled sterol radioactivity in the small intestine and a tripled one in the liver suggests that the increase in internal secretion of the RICO rat has both an intestinal and hepatic origin. This cholesterogenic stimulation in RICO rats takes place in the jejunum as well as in the ileum and in the crypt cells as well as in the villosities. It is concomitant with a doubled cholesterolemia, a doubled intestinal, caecal and colon bile acid pool and a 20% increase in the enterocyte protein content.