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Early effects of dietary orotic acid upon liver lipid synthesis and bile cholesterol secretion in rats

Journal Article · · J. Lipid Res.; (United States)
OSTI ID:5179967

Dietary orotic acid is known to cause impaired fatty acid synthesis and increased cholesterol synthesis in rats. The authors found that the impaired fatty acid synthesis occurs during the first day of orotic acid feeding and, in studies with albumin-bound (1-/sup 14/C)palmitic acid, an associated decrease in the rate of esterification of this fatty acid into triacylglycerol, phospholipid, and cholesteryl ester was observed. These changes may result from the known decreases in liver levels of adenine nucleotides or, as reported here, from decreased liver CoASH levels in orotic acid-fed rats. The increase in hepatic cholesterol synthesis occurred during the second day of orotic acid feeding. It was detected by increased incorporation of (1,2-/sup 14/C)acetate into cholesterol by liver slices and by a 7-fold increase in HMG-CoA reductase activity. At the same time the biliary output of cholesterol was increased 2-fold and studies using /sup 3/H/sub 2/O revealed that the output of newly synthesized cholesterol in bile was increased 5-fold. The content of cholesteryl ester in hepatic microsomes decreased during orotic acid feeding but free cholesterol was unchanged. The findings are interpreted to suggest that the increased bile cholesterol secretion caused by orotic acid is a result of impaired hepatic cholesterol esterification and that the increase in HMG-CoA reductase activity is a result of diminished negative feedback due to the depleted content of cholesteryl ester in the hepatic microsomes.

Research Organization:
Univ. of Western Ontario, London, Canada
OSTI ID:
5179967
Journal Information:
J. Lipid Res.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Lipid Res.; (United States) Vol. 4; ISSN JLPRA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English