title: Increased (23R)-hydroxylase activity in patients suffering from cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis, resulting in (23R)-hydroxylation of bile acids.
abstract: Patients suffering from cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis, an inborn error of metabolism in bile acid synthesis, excrete excessive amounts of 23-hydroxylated bile alcohols, 23-norcholic acid and 23-hydroxycholic acid into urine. In this study the configuration of this excreted 23-hydroxycholic acid was established as (23R)-hydroxycholic acid. Urine samples of two treated patients, receiving chenodeoxycholic acid, were investigated to see whether this administered bile acid was partly converted into 23-hydroxychenodeoxycholic acid. One patient was treated with ursodeoxycholic acid for 1 month and subsequently with chenodeoxycholic acid, and the urinary excretion of both (23R)-hydroxychenodeoxycholic acid and (23R)-hydroxyursodeoxycholic acid were followed. Indeed, all three patients excreted (23R)-hydroxylated chenodeoxycholic acid during oral treatment with chenodeoxycholic acid, and the patient treated with ursodeoxycholic acid excreted (23R)-hydroxylated ursodeoxycholic acid. During treatment with chenodeoxycholic acid the excretion of (23R)-hydroxychenodeoxycholic acid increases at first and later on decreases markedly. These findings suggest increased (23R)-hydroxylase activity in patients suffering from cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis, acting both on endogenously synthesized bile alcohols and on exogenously administered bile acids; during continuation of chenodeoxycholic acid treatment in an effective dose (750 mg/day) this enzyme activity gradually disappears.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001647:Bile Acids and Salts / Q000627:therapeutic use / Q000652:urine*; D005260:Female; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013250:Steroid Hydroxylases / Q000378:metabolism*; D014973:Xanthomatosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000652:urine
chemical_list: D001647:Bile Acids and Salts; D013250:Steroid Hydroxylases; C050128:steroid (23R)-hydroxylase