Abstract
Summary
1. Hypophysectomized rats receiving a low cholesterol stock diet had higher serum cholesterol concentrations and carried a larger proportion of their serum cholesterol in the low density (β) lipoprotein fraction than intact controls. 2. In hypophysectomized rats fed the stock diet plus 0.05% MeT serum cholesterol concentration was reduced to about the same extent as that of unoperated controls. In the hypophysectomized rats the cholesterol content of the low density (β) lipoprotein fraction remained elevated whereas the intact controls maintained a normal cholesterol pattern. 3. When the basal diet supplemented with 1% cholesterol was fed, the hypophysectomized animals attained serum cholesterol concentrations averaging 579 mg% at the end of 4 weeks. Ninety-two per cent of this cholesterol was found in the β-lipoprotein fraction. Addition of 0.05% of methyltestosterone to this diet produced a lowering of serum cholesterol levels: the average cholesterol concentration was 361 mg% at the end of 4 weeks. In both groups more than 90% of the serum cholesterol was present in the β-lipoprotein fraction. 4. It is concluded that the hypocholesterolemic action of methyltestosterone in the rat is not mediated via the pituitary.
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