Journal of Lipid Research, Vol. 21, 854-861, September 1980
Copyright © 1980 by Lipid Research, Inc.

Sources of error in the isotopic cholesterol balance method in African green monkeys consuming a cholesterol-free diet

G. R. Henderson and R. W. St. Clair

Arteriosclerosis Research Center and the Department of Pathology, Bowman Gray School of Medicine of Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC 27103

Six African green monkeys were labeled intravenously with [1,2-³H]cholesterol while consuming a cholesterol-free liquid formula diet. The plasma cholesterol specific activity was compared with the specific activity of the biliary cholesterol and bile acids and with the fecal neutral steroids in order to determine whether the traditional isotopic balance method was valid for the calculation of endogenous cholesterol excretion. The specific activity of biliary cholesterol and bile acids averaged 10-15% lower than plasma cholesterol specific activity. Fecal cholesterol and coprostanone specific activities were similar to that of the biliary cholesterol, but the specific activity of fecal coprostanol was approximately 25% lower. This suggests that biliary cholesterol and bile acids were derived from a pool of hepatic cholesterol that did not completely equilibrate with the whole body exchangeable cholesterol pool. In addition, there was further reduction in the specific activity of coprostanol, the major fecal neutral steroid, presumably by cholesterol synthesized in the lower intestine and preferentially converted to coprostanol. As a result, the traditional isotopic balance procedure underestimated endogenous neutral steroid excretion by 46% and bile acid excretion by 31% in African green monkeys fed the cholesterol-free diet. Within 7 days after the addition of 1 mg cholesterol/kcal to the diet, the specific activities of plasma and biliary cholesterol and biliary bile acids were identical and there was no difference in the specific activities of the individual fecal neutral steroids. Thus, the traditional isotopic balance procedure (DPM fecal neutral steroids + bile acids/specific activity [DPM/mg] plasma cholesterol) can be used for calculation of endogenous cholesterol excretion in cholesterol-fed animals during the nonsteady state when plasma cholesterol concentrations are rapidly increasing, as well as after a new steady state has been achieved.—Henderson, G. R., and R. W. St. Clair. Sources of error in the isotopic cholesterol balance method in African green monkeys consuming a cholesterol-free diet.

Supplementary key words cholesterol absorption • cholesterol excretion • hyporesponsiveness to dietary cholesterol • hyperresponsiveness to dietary cholesterol

Submitted on November 20, 1979
Revised on April 21, 1980

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