Gallstone formation in guinea pigs under different dietary conditions. Effect of vitamin C on bile acid pattern.

Guinea pigs formed gallstones when fed chow supplemented with cholesterol and cholic acid. Although the stones contained little or no cholesterol the changes in biliary bile acid and lipid composition were similar to those observed in other rodents under conditions of cholesterol gallstone formation. Addition of cholestyramine to chow had a midly lithogenic effect. Hypovitaminosis C in animals given cholesterol and cholic acid resulted in an increase of the cholesterol content of the gallstones. The composition of biliary bile acids was markedly changed. Reductive formation of deoxycholic acid decreased and oxidative formation of ketonic bile acid increased. The results show that vitamin C may influence the redox state of the intestinal microorganisms microorganisms responsible for these conversions.