Source of Excess Plasma Cholesterol in Phosphatide-Induced Hypercholesteremia

Abstract

To investigate the tissue source of the excess cholesterol appearing in plasma during phosphatide infusion, various tissues of the rat were analyzed for their cholesterol content during phosphatide induced hypercholesteremia. In rats prefed a sterol-free diet, phosphatide-induced hypercholesteremia did not lead to any discernible change in the cholesterol content of any organ or tissue analyzed except liver and adrenal. The cholesterol content of the liver was increased and that of the adrenal, decreased at the height of the induced hypercholesteremia. In rats prefed excess cholesterol, a decline in liver as well as adrenal cholesterol occurred with no discernible change in any other tissue studied. It was postulated that induced hyperphospholipidemia appears capable of mobilizing only stored or excess cholesterol from any tissue.