Effect of glucose administration on cholesterol and bile acid metabolism in rats

Glucose administered to fasted rats caused a marked stimulation in hepatic cholesterogenesis and cholesterol 7 alpha-hydroxylation, and an increase in biliary excretion of cholesterol and total bile acids. The excretion of cholic acid was not incluenced during the first few hr after glucose administration, but was significantly increased after 5 hr. Chenodeoxycholic acid showed a similar change, but the increase was only ca. one tenth of that of cholic acid. The excretion of deoxycholic acid was markedly increased by 1 hr, but gradually decreased thereafter. Pretreatment with neomycin abolished the increase in deoxycholic acid by fasting and glucose administration. Other bile acid components showed no significant change. It thus was presumed that cholesterol endogenously synthesized in the liver was metabolized mainly to cholic acid. In contrast, exogenous cholesterol was metabolized mainly to chenodeoxycholic acid. During the period of the acute enhancement of cholic acid formation from the endogenous cholesterol, biliary excretion of deoxycholic acid was increased. This probably occurred through the depression of 7 alpha-rehydroxylation of deoxycholic acid, or through the enhancement of microbial formation of deoxycholic acid in the lumen, and through the increase of intestinal absorption.