ACETATE INCORPORATION INTO CHOLESTEROL AND FATTY ACIDS BY LIVERS OF FETAL, SUCKLING, AND WEANED RATS

Abstract

Liver homogenates from fetal rats gave good incorporation of labelled acetate into cholesterol and fatty acids, but liver slices or homogenates from suckling rats gave very little incorporation. The amount of acetate incorporated increased greatly as soon as the suckling rats began to eat a commercial diet. Mevalonic acid was incorporated into cholesterol equally well by liver slices from suckling and weaned rats. Acetate given orally or intraperitoneally to intact rats was incorporated into liver cholesterol and fatty acids to a lesser extent in suckling rats than in rats weaned to a commercial diet. Plasma cholesterols were elevated in suckling rats and dropped to normal adult levels at weaning. Liver cholesterols tended to be slightly higher in suckling rats.