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R F Raicht

Publications and source records attributed to R F Raicht.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Sterol metabolism in the rat: effect of alcohol on sterol metabolism in two strains of rats.

Sterol metabolism studies using a combination of isotopic and chromatographic procedures were carried out in two strains of rats fed 5% ethanol (36% of calories) in the diet. Feeding ethanol to the Fisher rat over 17 days produced no significant changes in body weight. Cholesterol levels in various tissues were elevated in the ethanol-fed group: plasma cholesterol, +61%; liver cholesterol, +47%; and bile cholesterol, +57%. The alcohol-fed Fisher rat showed several changes in sterol metabolism over controls: fecal acidic steroid output, +13%; fecal neutral sterol output, +51%; endogenous neutral sterol output, +107%; cholesterol turnover, +54%; and cholesterol balance, +18%. Ethanol feeding to the Sprague Dawley rat showed similar differences between ethanol-fed vs. control rats. Cholesterol levels were significantly elevated in plasma (+35%) and in the liver (+81%). Sterol metabolism data showed the following differences (alcohol vs. control): fecal acidic steroid output, +9%; fecal neutral sterol output, +17%; endogenous neutral sterol output, +72%; cholesterol turnover, +33%; and cholesterol balance +13%. The Fisher rat maintained almost constant weight throughout the experimental period and is a preferable strain for sterol balance studies using liquid diets. A major finding of these experiments was the increased concentration of cholesterol in liver, plasma, and bile in both strains of rats. The sterol balance measurements indicated that this tissue accumulation of cholesterol was due to enhanced cholesterol synthesis as well as inhibition of bile acid syntheses.

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Acute and chronic effect of dietary cholic acid on colonic epithelial cell proliferation.

Administration of cholic acid (1.0% of the diet) to male Fisher rats for 3 days resulted in increased numbers of DNA synthesizing epithelial cells per colonic crypt column as compared to those found in either control or 0.2% cholic acid-fed rats. The middle third of the crypt was the area stimulated to contribute the additional proliferating cells. The maximum number of 3H-TdR-labeled cells was doubled by 24 h and migration had processed further up the colonic crypt of the 1% cholic acid-fed rats than the 0.2% cholic acid or control animals. Compared with cholic acid-deprived rats, long-term dietary intake of 0.2% cholic acid (26 weeks) was found to heighten the numbers of labeled cells per column and expand the proliferative compartment. The enhanced manifestation of colonic neoplasia in MNU-induced rats consuming cholic acid (previously reported by us) appears related to the elevated levels of cell proliferation brought about in response to the deleterious action of the bile acid on the mucosa. Increased numbers of epithelial cells undergoing DNA synthesis in cholic acid-treated animals would allow the earlier expression of malignant transformation in the large intestine.

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Effects of bile acids on colon carcinogenesis in rats treated with carcinogens.

Primary bile acids were studied as possible colon tumor promoters or inhibitors in a rat model of chemically induced colon cancer. Cholic acid feeding increased the number of animals with tumors, the number of tumors per animal, and the number of tumors per tumor-bearing animal. Tumor enhancement was attributed to deoxycholic acid, the bacterial metabolite of cholic acid. When chenodeoxycholic acid was fed to the rats in our model, tumor incidence was increased, but the number of tumors per animal and the number of tumors per tumor-bearing animal were similar to controls. The different fecal bile acid pattern obtained with chenodeoxycholic acid may be responsible for the differences in tumor incidence. The methodology to characterize and identify all steroidal components of the feces requires extraction, thin-layer chromatography, gas-liquid chromatography, and gas-liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Newer techniques include LH-20 chromatography (for sulfated steroids) and high-pressure liquid chromatography.

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Effect of colestipol on sterol metabolism in the rat.

Sterol metabolism studies using isotopic and chromatographic techniques were performed on rats fed diets supplemented with colestipol (Upjohn). Compared to controls, colestipol altered sterol metabolism dramatically. Bile acid output increased from 7.0 mg/day to 12.2 mg/day (0.42% colestipol) and 39.6 mg/day (1.67% colestipol). Daily fecal neutral sterol output and daily endogenous neutral sterol output increased 36% and 55%, respectively, on the 1.67% colestipol diet. Cholesterol absorption was reduced by colestipol feeding. Cholesterol balance increased dramatically with 1.67% colestipol administration (43.5 mg/day vs -1.0 mg/day in controls). Colestipol exerts its effect by binding bile acids and by bile acid depletion interfering with cholesterol absorption.

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Protective effect of plant sterols against chemically induced colon tumors in rats.

Diets rich in vegetables are associated with a low incidence of colon cancer. Since plant sterols are plentiful in vegetarian diets, we studied the effect of beta-sitosterol on colon tumor formation in rats treated with the carcinogen N-methyl-N-nitrosourea. We demonstrated that beta-sitosterol nullified in part the effect of this direct-acting carcinogen on the colon. We suggest that plant sterols may have a protective dietary action action to retard colon tumor formation. The beneficial effects of vegetarian diets may be enhanced because of the presence of these compounds.

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Influence of bile on kinetic behavior of colonic epithelial cells of the rat.

The acute effect of bile deprivation on colonic epithelial cell proliferation in Sprague-Dawley rats was investigated and compared with its effect on jejunum and ileum. 2. days after the creation of bile fistula, tritiated thymidine was injected and animals sacrificed 1 and 24 h later. Compared with control untreated animals, sham-operated restrained rats had a reduced labeling and mitotic index of the colonic epithelial cell population as well as a slower migration of cells to the lumen. Colonic cell proliferation in animals deprived of bile flow was reduced a further 50%. Moreover, no evidence of cell migration or appreciable decline in grain density was seen over 24 h in bile fistula rats. Alterations in cell proliferation in both sham and bile fistula treated rats became less marked as one proceeded proximally to the small bowel. Therefore, significant alterations in cell kinetics result when normal bile flow is interrupted, suggesting its importance in the regulatory control of colonic cell proliferation.

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Ursodeoxycholic acid. Effects on sterol metabolism in rats.

Sterol balance studies using isotopic and chromatographic techniques were performed in rats fed diets supplemented with ursodeoxycholic acid. Compared to controls, ursodeoxycholic acid dramatically altered sterol metabolism. Ursodeoxycholic acid was absorbed and circulated in the enterohepatic circulation. The biliary bile acid composition was significantly altered with ursodeoxycholic acid the predominant biliary bile acid (67%). Cholesterol absorption was depressed by 34%; bile acid synthesis was depressed by 30%; however, cholesterol balance was significantly increased. It is apparent that the effects of ursodeoxycholic acid on sterol metabolism are different in several respects from chenodeoxycholic acid.

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Sterol metabolism studies in the rat. Effects of primary bile acids (sodium taurochenodeoxycholate and sodium taurocholate) on sterol metabolism.

Sterol metabolism studies using a combination of isotopic and chromatographic procedures were carried out in rats fed either a low-cholesterol stock diet or a stock diet containing 0.1% cholesterol. The primary bile acids, sodium taurochenodeoxycholate and sodium taurocholate, were added to the stock diets at a level of 0.5%, as required. Feeding sodium taurochenodeoxycholate and sodium taurocholate led to a decrease in acidic steroid synthesis, cholesterol turnover, and cholesterol balance, compared to controls. Sodium taurochenodeoxycholate feeding did not influence cholesterol absorption, but rats fed sodium taurocholate showed a twofold increase in cholesterol absorption as well as an accumulation of cholesterol in the liver. Rats receiving diets containing sodium taurochenodeoxycholate or sodium taurocholate plus cholesterol (0.1%) showed decreased acidic steroid synthesis, cholesterol turnover, and cholesterol balance, compared to the corresponding controls (Group 2, high cholesterol diet). Significantly larger amounts of cholesterol were absorbed in the taurocholate group (34.1 mg/day); these animals increased their concentrations of cholesterol in liver and plasma. The rats fed taurocholate plus 0.1% cholesterol differed from those fed taurochenodeoxycholate plus 0.1% cholesterol in the following respects: a) increased cholesterol absorption (35%), and b) accumulation of cholesterol in liver and plasma.

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Sterol balance studies in the rat. Effects of dietary cholesterol and beta-sitosterol on sterol balance and rate-limiting enzymes of sterol metabolism.

Sterol balance measurements using isotopic and chromatographic techniques were carried out in rats fed diets containing beta-sitosterol (0.8%) and cholesterol (1.2%). The activities of the rate-limiting enzymes of cholesterol synthesis (beta-hydroxy-beta-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase, EC 1.1.1.34) and bile acid synthesis (cholesterol 7 alpha-hydroxylase) were determined in the same animals. Cholesterol feeding increased cholesterol absorption from 1.2 to 70 mg/day. The increased absorption was compensated for by inhibition of hepatic cholesterol synthesis, enhanced conversion of cholesterol to bile acids (from 13.7 to 27.3 mg/day) and a slight increase in the excretion of endogenous neutral steroids (from 7.7 to 11.2 mg/day). Despite the adaptation there was accumulation of cholesterol in the liver (from 2.2 to 9.2 mg/g). Beta-Sitosterol feeding inhibited cholesterol absorption (calculated absorption was zero). In these rats there was enhanced cholesterol synthesis (from 20.0 to 28.8 mg/day, but no change in the rates of bile acid formation. Measurements of the activities of the rate-limiting enzymes showed fair correlation with cholesterol-bile acid balance. In cholesterol fed animals, beta-hydroxy-beta-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase was inhibited 80% and cholesterol 7 alpha-hydroxylase was enhanced 61%. In beta-sitosterol-fed animals, the reductase was increased 2-fold and cholesterol 7 alpha-hydroxylase was not significantly different from controls.

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