Biliary steroid excretion in rats fed soybean protein and casein or their amino acid mixtures

Male Wistar rats were fed 1% fat, cholesterol-free semipurified diets containing soybean protein isolate and casein or amino acid mixtures simulating these proteins for 28-30 days. The animals then underwent surgery for biliary diversion, and bile was collected for 2 hours. The rate of bile flow was not influenced by the type of dietary protein. The concentration and output of biliary cholesterol in rats fed soybean protein were significantly higher than in those fed casein, while biliary bile acid excretion was comparable. The group given the soy protein-type amino acid mixture also tended to excrete more biliary cholesterol relative to the casein-type amino acid mixture, although the difference was not significant, while biliary bile acid output was comparable. When 5% fat diets containing 0.5% cholesterol were given to rats, concentrations of both biliary cholesterol and bile acid were elevated significantly on a vegetable protein diet. In these experiments, there was a significant negative correlation between serum cholesterol and biliary cholesterol levels. Stimulation of the biliary excretion of cholesterol seems at least relevant to the cholesterol-lowering action of soybean protein.