Journal of Lipid Research, Vol 33, 659-668, Copyright © 1992 by Lipid Research, Inc.
Bile acid synthesis. VI. Regulation of cholesterol 7 alpha-hydroxylase by taurocholate and mevalonate
WM Pandak, ZR Vlahcevic, JY Chiang, DM Heuman and PB Hylemon
Department of Medicine, Medical College of Virginia-VCU, Richmond.
Taurocholate, a relatively hydrophobic bile salt, is a potent down-
regulator of HMG-CoA reductase and cholesterol 7 alpha-hydroxylase (C7
alpha H), the rate-determining enzymes of the cholesterol and bile acid
biosynthetic pathways, respectively. Inhibition of cholesterol synthesis
with a bolus dose of mevinolin (lovastatin) a competitive inhibitor of
3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase, profoundly
decreases the specific activity of cholesterol 7 alpha- hydroxylase and
rate of bile acid synthesis in rats with complete biliary diversion. It is
therefore conceivable that taurocholate may suppress cholesterol 7
alpha-hydroxylase primarily by down-regulating the activity of HMG-CoA
reductase. To test this hypothesis, taurocholate was coinfused
simultaneously to rats with chronic bile fistula with mevalonate
(administered as mevalonolactone), an intermediate in the cholesterol
biosynthetic pathway. Mevalonolactone was administered to provide a
constant supply of newly synthesized cholesterol to cholesterol 7
alpha-hydroxylase, in order to overcome any inhibitory effect of
taurocholate on HMG-Coa reductase. Infusions were started 72 h after
biliary diversion, and carried out for an additional 48 h. Complete biliary
diversion resulted in an increase in C7 alpha H specific activity (510%),
protein mass (550%), steady-state mRNA levels (1430%), and transcriptional
activities (330%) as compared to control rats with intact enterohepatic
circulations. When rats with biliary diversion were infused intraduodenally
with taurocholate, the specific activities of HMG-CoA reductase and
cholesterol 7 alpha- hydroxylase activities decreased by 75% (P less than
0.001) and 73% (P less than 0.001), respectively. Cholesterol 7
alpha-hydroxylase mass, mRNA, and transcriptional activity decreased after
intraduodenal infusion of taurocholate to levels similar to those of rats
with an intact enterohepatic circulation. The combination of constant
infusion of mevalonate and taurocholate failed to reverse the inhibitory
effects of taurocholate on cholesterol 7 alpha-hydroxylase activity, mRNA
levels, and in vitro transcriptional rates. These data provide evidence
that taurocholate represses cholesterol 7 alpha-hydroxylase at the level of
gene transcription, and not via down-regulation of HMG-CoA reductase.
Infusion of mevalonate alone to biliary diverted rats did not alter
cholesterol 7 alpha-hydroxylase activity or mRNA levels, while leading to a
57% decrease in C7 alpha H gene transcription. This latter finding suggests
that mevalonate or its metabolites may be capable of stabilizing C7 alpha H
mRNA levels while down-regulating transcriptional activity.