Inflammation-induced increases in dolichol synthesis and hydroxymethylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase activity in mouse liver are prevented by a high-cholesterol diet but not by fasting.

The inflammatory response in mammals is characterized by the synthesis in the liver of several N-linked serum glycoproteins called acute-phase reactants. In C57BL/6J mice, turpentine-induced inflammation was accompanied by increases in 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase activity, dolichol synthesis, and dolichyl phosphoryl mannose synthesis. Cholesterol feeding, but not fasting, prevented these inflammation-induced increases in reductase activity and dolichol synthesis. However, the rate of incorporation of [3H]mannose into total serum glycoproteins was not affected by the high-cholesterol diet, and this rate increased during acute inflammation in control and cholesterol-fed mice.