Fecal bile acids and neutral sterols in rats with spontaneous colon cancer

Fecal bile acids and neutral sterols of spontaneous colon cancer-bearing Wistar-Furth strain rats were examined and compared with those of control rats of the same strain by gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The amount of total fecal bile acids and the percentage of fecal lithocholic acid were almost similar in both groups, but the percentage of fecal deoxycholic acid was significantly higher in the colon cancer group than in the controls. The amount of total fecal neutral sterols and the percentage of fecal coprostanol were also markedly higher in the colon cancer group than in the controls. The percentage of cholesterol and the amount of beta-sitosterol were, however, almost similar in the two groups. These results indicate that fecal deoxycholic acid and fecal coprostanol are notably higher in rats with colon cancer than in controls.