Effects of ethionine feeding on fatty liver and plasma lipoprotein fractions in rats.

We studied the changes in the lipid metabolism of rats fed a 0.5% DL-ethionine-containing diet. On day 3, hepatic lipid and cholesterol were markedly elevated in male and female rats; their plasma total cholesterol and plasma lecithin cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) activity levels were lower than in the controls. On day 7 and 14, hepatic lipid and cholesterol were near the control level, while plasma cholesterol and LCAT activity, especially in male rats, were higher than in the controls. Electrophoresis of the plasma lipoprotein complexes revealed a progressive decrease of the alpha fraction, irrespective of sex. These DL-ethionine-induced changes may be due to changes in hepatic adenosine triphosphate levels leading to the inhibition of protein biosynthesis.