A sensitive method for determination of cholesterol growth using model solutions of supersaturated bile

We describe a novel, facile, and highly reproducible spectrophotometric technique to measure a cholesterol crystal growth curve. This method permits a quantitative estimate of the potency or comparative abundance of a given kinetic effector substance. In addition to several internal validation procedures, data are provided that support the usefulness of the technique in the assay of substances with either known promoting activity, i.e., human mucin glycoprotein, or those with known inhibitory activity, i.e., human apolipoprotein A-I.