Cholesterogenesis from propionate: facts and speculations.

Cholesterogenesis from [1-14C]acetate and [2-14C]propionate by the liver and adipose tissue has been studied in vitro. In all species tested including the rat, mouse, chicken, cow and pig, labelled propionate was recovered in cholesterol following the same trend as acetate, but at lower incorporation rates. Chicken liver was the most active in incorporating both substrates into cholesterol. In the cow and pig, the rates of cholesterol synthesis were higher in the adipose tissue than in the liver. Three alternative mechanisms are proposed to explain the recovery of propionate in cholesterol.