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Vitamin D₂ and Cholesterolemia in the Growing Rat^1,2,

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station, Lincoln, Nebraska 68503

The influence of dietary supplements of vitamin D₂ or cholesterol, or both, upon blood serum cholesterol and the cholesterol and fatty acid content of certain tissue was studied in rats. In all treatments, female rats had higher serum but lower liver cholesterol concentrations than intact males. Rats fed cholesterol had elevated levels of serum and liver cholesterol, increased percentage of body fat, but reduced body cholesterol concentration as compared to noncholesterol-fed rats. The inclusion of excessive vitamin D₂ when fed in the presence of dietary cholesterol resulted in lowered serum cholesterol levels (P < 0.01) and dramatically increased liver cholesterol content. Total saturated fatty acids tended to be reduced while oleic acid was increased in the liver and body of rats fed a high level of vitamin D₂ and cholesterol in combination, compared to levels in rats fed the basal diet. The data suggest that the serum cholesterol-lowering effect of vitamin D₂ may be related in part to increased retention of cholesterol by the liver.

² Presented in part at the meeting of the American Society of Animal Science, Stillwater, Oklahoma, July, 1968. J. Anim. Sci. 27: 1152 (abstr.).

³ Present address: 119 Kildee Hall, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50010.

Manuscript received 6 July 1970.