Abstract
Summary
The determination of cholesterol absorption in rats from a single blood sample is described. The method consists of dosing the rats with a collodial suspension of cholesterol- 3 H intravenously and with cholesterol-14C orally. The ratio of 14C to 3 H in plasma, 24 hr or more after isotope dosage, gives the fraction of the oral dose absorbed. The method was tested by comparison to fecal 14C-cholesterol excretion corrected for recirculated sterol and sterol degradation. The results of the two methods are in good agreement. Calculations based on a two-pool model show that the plasma ratio method should be applicable to studies in man, and would allow calculation of dietary cholesterol absorption and endogenous cholesterol synthesis from plasma cholesterol specific activity data.
The excellent technical assistance of L. Barry Hughes is appreciated.
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