A cause of hypercholesterolemia in alloxan diabetic rat

In studies on the cause of hypercholesterolemia in alloxan diabetic rats, the pool size and basal daily synthesis of conjugated bile salts were measured by the washout method and neutral sterols in the luminal contents were determined using cholestyramine. The results showed that in diabetic rats: 1) the biliary excretions of cholesterol and bile salts were significantly increased; 2) the pool size of conjugated bile salts was increased and its rate of synthesis was higher than in controls; 3) the amount of neutral sterols in the luminal contents doubled when cholesterol absorption was inhibited by administration of cholestyramine; 4) the amount of neutral sterols excreted in the feces was the same as in controls. Thus, it was concluded that hypercholesterolemia may be partly caused by an increased rate of intestinal absorption of cholesterol, derived mainly from sloughed off epithelial cells and bile, and due to facilitated micellar formation by the increased amount of bile salts in the intestine.