Journal of Lipid Research, Vol. 7, 77-82, January 1966
Copyright © 1966 by Lipid Research, Inc.
Catabolism and elimination of cholesterol in germfree rats
B. S. Wostmann , N. L. Wiech , and Elisabeth Kung
Lobund Laboratory, Department of Biology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana
Three-month old germfree and conventional male rats were maintained on a complete steam-sterilized, semisynthetic diet. After intravenous injection of cholesterol-26-14C the animals were housed in a plastic metabolism chamber for 72 hr. Expired CO2 was collected throughout the period. The conventional rats released 50% more 14C as 14CO2 than the germfree animals. The total amount of the label recovered as 14CO2 during the 72 hr period amounted to 30% and 19% respectively, of the original dose. In both conventional and germfree rats the release of 14CO2 accounted for approximately 75% of the 14C recovered in forms other than the original cholesterol-26-14C; 15-20% was found incorporated in water-soluble and fat-soluble fractions other than 3
-OH sterol of liver and carcass while the remainder was excreted with feces and urine. After the 72 hr period the specific activities of the cholesterol in plasma and liver were lower in conventional than in germfree animals.
The data express the accelerating effect of the intestinal microflora on systemic cholesterol catabolism. They demonstrate that the release of 14CO2 from cholesterol-26-14C in the intact rat is a suitable and convenient indicator of the oxidative catabolism of cholesterol.
Supplementary key words cholesterol-26-14C • oxidative catabolism • germfree • rat • intestinal microflora • bile acids
Submitted on March 25, 1965
Accepted on August 24, 1965
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