Effect of Dietary Bile Acids on Plasma Cholesterol of the Rat

It has perviously been shown in the mouse that dietary lithocholic, hyodeoxycholic and chenodeoxycholic acids counteract the hypercholesteremic effect of exogenous cholic acid. In contrast, in the rat it has now been observed that lithocholic acid has little or no anti-cholic acid effect and that chenodeoxycholic acid augments rather than counteracts the effect of dietary cholic acid. As in the mouse, hyodeoxycholic acid neutralizes the plasma cholesterol-elevating effect of cholic acid and in neither species is this effect eliminated by dietary antibacterial agents. It has been reported that orally administered deoxycholic acid depressed plasma cholesterol in the rat and that hyodeoxycholic acid elevated it. Under the conditions of our experiments deoxycholic acid exerted only an elevating effect and hyodeoxycholic acid was without significant effect.