Cholesterol metabolism in the liver and intestine of the chick: effect of dietary cholesterol, taurocholic acid and cholestyramine.

The effect of feeding cholesterol, taurocholic acid, or cholestyramine to chicks on cholesterogenesis from [1-14C] acetate in liver and intestine was determined in vitro using tissue slices, and in vivo by i.v. injection of [14C] acetate. The conversion of cholesterol to bile acids in liver in vivo was measured in the same treatments after i.v. injection of [3H] cholesterol. Hepatic cholesterogenesis in vitro and in vivo was depressed by dietary cholesterol and taurocholate and enhanced by cholestyramine. Intestinal cholesterogenesis in vivo was depressed only by taurocholate whereas ileal cholesterogenesis in vitro was reduced by dietary cholesterol. Conversion of cholesterol to bile acids was enhanced by dietary cholesterol and cholestyramine and depressed by taurocholate. Hepatic cholesterol metabolism in the chick appears to be regulated by mechanisms similar to those reported for other species.