Biomedical subjects

G S Boyd

Publications and source records attributed to G S Boyd.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

PubMed1976

Oxidation of cholesterol and cholesterol analogues by mitochondrial preparations of steroid-hormone-producing tissue.

The rate of oxidation of cholesterol and its analogues to pregnenolone (3beta-hydroxypregn-5-en-20-one) by various mitochondrial preparations was measured. Sterols with the cholest-5-en-3beta-ol ring system and saturated side chains of different lengths were converted into pregnenolone rat rates similar to that of cholesterol. This marked lack of mitochondrial specificity towards the steroid side chains is in direct contrast with the rat liver microsomal cholesterol 7alpha-hydroxylase, which has a high specificity for the side chain. Steroids that retain the ring system, but contain hydroxyl groups at various points in the side chain, are converted into pregnenolone at rates three to eight times higher than in cholesterol. The results are discussed with reference to current ideas on the mechanism of the side-chain cleavage of cholesterol. The results are discussed with reference to current ideas on the mechanism of the side-chain cleavage of cholesterol.

Adrenal Cortex↗

PubMed1976

Interactions of the cholesterol side-chain with egg lecithin. A spin label study.

The effect in egg lecithin liposomes of cholesterol and cholesterol analogues with side-chains of reduced length on the order parameters of two steroid spin labels has been studied. Analogues with side-chains shorter than cholesterol by more than three carbon cause significantly less ordering than cholesterol. Liposomes containing a cholesterol analogue in which the side-chain is absent cause very little increase in the ordering of a new sterol spin label in which the nitroxide is incorporated into the side-chain. The results suggest that the sterol side-chain exerts a great influence on membrane rigidity within its immediate environment.

Binding Sites↗

PubMed1976

The effect of portacaval transposition of hepatic cholesterol-7alpha-hydroxylase activity in the rat.

Portacaval anastomosis in the rat results in an increase in the activity of the liver microsomal cholesterol-7alpha-hydroxylase enzyme system. The increase in the activity of this oxygenase occurs despite a decrease in the total amount of cytochrome p450 in the liver microsomes after portacaval anastomosis. It is possible to increase further the activity of the cholesterol-7alpha-hydroxylase enzyme in these portacaval shunted animals by feeding them on a diet containing a bile salt sequestering agent. This suggests that one of the factors influencing the activity of the liver microsomal cholesterol-7alpha-hydroxylase enzyme may be the concentration of bile salts reaching the liver from the blood plasma. Portacaval anastomosis in the rat tended to achieve a small decrease in the plasma cholesterol concentration.

Animals↗

PubMed1975

The effect of dietary rape-seed oil on cholesterol-ester metabolism and cholesterol-ester-hydrolase activity in the rat adrenal.

The effects of stock diet and stock diet supplemented by olive oil and rape seed on rat adrenal cholesterol ester metabolism have been studied. Rats fed rape seed oil failed to gain weight at the same rate as rats fed olive oil. A prominent feature of the rats fed rape seed oil was an accumulation of high concentrations of cholesterol erucate in the adrenal lipid droplets. When these rats were subjected to an ether stress no percentage decrease in the amount of cholesterol erucate was observed. Adrenal cholesterol ester hydrolase activity was higher in rats fed the olive oil and rape seed oil diets than rats fed the stock diet. In rats fed stock or olive oil diets, a ten-minute ether anaesthesia stress resulted in a two-fold increase in activity of adrenal cholesterol ester hydrolase. Cofactor addition of ATP, cyclic AMP and MgCl-2 in vitro resulted in a stimulation of cholesterol ester hydrolase to a similar activity in both quiescent and ether-stressed rats. By contrast rats fed the rape seed oil diet gave no significant stimulation of cholesterol ester hydrolase activity when given an ether stress or when cofactors were added in vitro. Cholesterol erucate was hydrolysed at only 25% to 30% of the rate of cholesterol oleate in vitro in all groups of animals. Oleic acid added in vitro gave an inhibition of cholesterol ester hydrolase activity in rats fed stock diet while erucic acid activated the enzyme. The accumulation of cholesterol erucate in the adrenal when rats are fed rape seed oil could be due to the reduced ability of cholesterol ester hydrolase to hydrolyse this ester.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

PubMed1975