[Content of total and esterified cholesterol in liver tissue and blood with chronic protein-choline deficiency]

Serum and liver total cholesterol and cholesterol esters were studied in rats of different stages of pathological process induced by a prolonged protein and choline deficiency. Depending upon the time of its application the protein-choline deficiency produced in rats a moderate fatty infiltration, a developed lipohepatosis, fibrosis and nodular liver cirrhosis. Application of the diet resulted in an increase in total cholesterol starting from the first days of developing fatty degeneration of the liver. This increase in total liver cholesterol is at the expense of the increase in cholesterol esters, accumulation of which appeared to be maximum at the stage of the cirrhosis development. In choline-deficient rats the concentration of serum total cholesterol proves to be similar to that in control animal receiving the basic diet, and the content of serum cholesterol esters is considserably decreased. The addition of choline to the cirrhosis-producing diet prevented the development of fatty infiltration, but could not avert disorders in cholesterol metabolism which resulted in an increase in serum total cholesterol with the free cholesterol fraction and a decrease in the cholesterol esters fraction with some accumulation of cholesterol esters in rats liver.