A comparative study of cholesterogenic activities from acetate of neonatal chick liver, kidney and intestinal mucosa

1. Acetate incorporation into nonsaponifiable lipids by liver and kidney slices and intestinal mucosa scrapes from neonatal chick was linear up to 100-150 mg of tissue. CO2 production from [1-14C]acetate was also studied as a function of weight of tissues. 2. Rate of acetate incorporation by the three mentioned tissues was essentially linear with respect to the incubation time assayed (0-120 min), CO2 production was also linear up to 60 min in kidney and 120 min in liver and intestinal mucosa. 3. In the conditions assayed the formation of nonsaponifiable lipids by liver slices reached constant values at acetate concentration of approximately 6 mM, while acetate incorporation by kidney and intestinal mucosa in the same conditions increased in nearly linear relationship to the concentration of available substrate. 4. Using the optimal assay conditions, acetate incorporation into nonsaponifiable lipids was maximal in neonatal chick liver, whereas kidney and intestinal mucosa only showed about 10% of the hepatic cholesterogenic activity. The percentage of acetate utilization for cholesterogenesis was also maximal in neonatal liver (about 10%). In the intestinal mucosa this percentage was also important (2-3%) being minimal in kidney slices (0.3%).