Mevalonate metabolism: role of kidneys.

More than one-half of the amount of mevalonate that is metabolized by pathways not leading to sterols is accounted for by the action of the kidneys. Conversion of mevalonate in vivo to squalene and sterols in the kidneys is confined almost entirely to the proximal and distal convoluted tubules in the cortex. More sterol than squalene is synthesized from mevalonate not only in the liver but also in the kidney.