title: Persistent enhancement of bile acid synthesis in guinea pigs following stimulation of cholesterol catabolism in neonatal life.
abstract: Cholesterol catabolism to bile acids was stimulated in neonatal guinea pigs by feeding 1.11% cholestyramine (CT)-containing diet for 8 weeks. The animals were then switched to standard laboratory diet for an additional 4 weeks. At the end of the laboratory diet period: a) CT-pre-treated guinea pigs continued to excrete significantly higher (p less than 0.05) amounts of bile acids, b) the activity of hepatic 7 alpha-hydroxylase was significantly elevated (p less than 0.01) in CT-pre-treated animals, and c) isolated hepatocytes from CT-pre-treated guinea pigs secreted significantly higher (p less than 0.05) amounts of bile acid when compared to controls during a 4-hour incubation. These data provide biochemical support for our contention that stimulation of cholesterol catabolism during neonatal life can have effects that persist into adult life.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001647:Bile Acids and Salts / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000378:metabolism*; D002790:Cholesterol 7-alpha-Hydroxylase / Q000378:metabolism; D002792:Cholestyramine Resin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005243:Feces / Q000032:analysis; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008862:Microsomes, Liver / Q000201:enzymology
chemical_list: D001647:Bile Acids and Salts; D002792:Cholestyramine Resin; D002784:Cholesterol; D002790:Cholesterol 7-alpha-Hydroxylase