Effects of drugs affecting cholesterol biosynthesis pathway on BM 15.766-induced 7-dehydrocholesterol accumulation in rats. An animal model for testing compounds reducing cholesterol synthesis.

7-Dehydrocholesterol (7DHC), an intermediate of cholesterol, accumulates in animals after administration of BM 15.766 and can be measured in addition to cholesterol photometrically. The effect of compounds acting at different points in the cholesterol biosynthetic pathway on BM 15.766-induced 7DHC accumulation was investigated in rats to evaluate its usefulness as in vivo test system for cholesterol lowering agents. 7DHC in liver of rats proved to be an appropriate measure for cholesterol de novo synthesis. In contrast to previously described methods no radiolabelled precursors are necessary. The extraction of 7DHC and its photometric determination is, in comparison with separation and measurement of radioactive cholesterol, a simple analytical procedure.