title: Effect of castration and hormonal supplementation on cholesterol cholelithiasis in the male hamster.
abstract: This study examined the effect of castration and dietary hormonal supplementation on cholesterol cholelithiasis in male hamsters. Animals fed a standard lithogenic diet developed cholesterol gallstones (17%) after 6 wk, while castrated hamsters did not form any stones. Addition of a synthetic androgen, methyltestosterone, to the lithogenic diet induced cholelithiasis in castrated animals (50%). The biles of normal and castrated-hormone supplemented hamsters had cholesterol saturation indices of 1.0 and 1.1, respectively, while the bile of the castrated animals remained unsaturated (0.6). The ratio of cholic acid/chenodeoxycholic acid in bile increased after castration, but returned to normal levels following hormonal supplementation. Biliary cholesterol carriers were separated by ultracentrifugation. Animals in the stone-forming groups (normal and castrated-hormone treated) had a significant proportion of their biliary cholesterol in vesicles (44 and 46%, respectively); castrated hamsters had less cholesterol in vesicle form (9%). The molar ratio of cholesterol/phospholipid in vesicles was reduced after castration (0.93 vs. 0.42) and increased by hormonal supplementation (1.89). In conclusion, when compared to normal male hamsters fed a standard lithogenic diet, castration reduced the cholesterol saturation of bile, lowered the vesicular/micellar ratio in bile, and inhibited cholesterol cholelithiasis. Dietary androgen supplementation increased the lithogenicity of bile, resulting in stone formation in castrated animals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Beth Israel Medical Center, New York, New York 10033, USA.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ohshima
authors.forename: B I
authors.initials: BI
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ayyad
authors.forename: E H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Mosbach
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001646:Bile / Q000378:metabolism; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D002769:Cholelithiasis / Q000209:etiology*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000378:metabolism*; D006224:Cricetinae; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D008297:Male; D008647:Mesocricetus; D008777:Methyltestosterone / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D009919:Orchiectomy
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D002784:Cholesterol; D008777:Methyltestosterone