Journal of Lipid Research, Vol. 9, 596-601, September 1968
Copyright © 1968 by Lipid Research, Inc.

Absorption and lymphatic transport of cholesterol in the rat

Christer SylvÉN and Bengt BorgstrÖM

Division of Physiological Chemistry, Chemical Center, University of Lund, Lund, Sweden

Rats with thoracic duct fistulae were fed triolein and triolein containing various amounts of labeled cholesterol. The analysis of the lymph lipids gave the following results.

In the fasting state the cholesterol transported via the thoracic duct was 0.87 µmole/hr. Feeding 800 µmoles of triolein gave a maximum rate of transport of cholesterol of 1.65 µmoles/hr. Addition of cholesterol to the triolein further increased the cholesterol transport to a maximal rate of almost 5 µmoles/hr when 50 µmoles of cholesterol were fed per 800 µmoles of triolein.

The exogenous fraction of the cholesterol transported increased linearly with increasing cholesterol load, constituting at the highest dose almost 90% of the total cholesterol transported.

An almost constant fraction (about 0.4) of the dietary cholesterol was recovered in the thoracic duct lymph in 24 hr irrespective of the dose fed, from a trace up to 100 µmoles in 800 µmoles of triolein.

Cholesterol absorption has the characteristics of a passive diffusion process.

Supplementary key words rat • cholesterol • quantitative • absorption • lymphatic transport • thoracic duct fistulae • triolein • oleic acid • micelles • diffusion

Submitted on March 5, 1968
Accepted on May 23, 1968

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