Cholesterol Metabolism in Rabbits with Oleic Acid-Induced Cholelithiasis

Summary Cholesterol metabolism has been studied in rabbits with bile acid gallstones induced by feeding a high oleic acid diet. Lithogenic rabbits showed hypercholesterolemia, compared with control rabbits, which was accompanied by a striking increase in the liver cholesterol concentration. The lithogenic diet contained no supplementary cholesterol and hepatic cholesterol synthesis was markedly inhibited. Since intestinal cholesterol synthesis was unchanged in lithogenic rabbits, it is suggested that the increase in plasma and liver cholesterol concentrations was due to increased absorption of cholesterol by the presence of 15% oleic acid in the lithogenic diet. The significance of the raised plasma and liver cholesterol concentrations in relation to the 2-3 fold increase in cholestanol concentration in the livers of lithogenic rabbits remains to be elucidated. The authors are grateful to Mr. A. Shaw for technical assistance.