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The Effects of Dietary Fiber Feeding on Cholesterol Metabolism in Rats

School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616

The flux through the sterol biosynthetic pathway was studied in hepatocytes isolated from male Sprague-Dawley rats fed diets containing one of four fiber sources: cellulose, pectin, oat bran and wheat bran. Sterol synthesis measured by the incorporation of tritiated water or [2-¹⁴C]mevalonic acid was not inhibited in hepatocytes isolated from animals fed diets containing cellulose, pectin, oat bran or wheat bran when compared to animals fed a fiber-free diet. Based on these results, it is concluded that the intake of fiber has no inhibitory effect on endogenous sterol synthesis. In fact, in comparison to that in fiber-free controls, sterol synthesis was markedly elevated in pectin- and wheat bran-fed animals. In the case of the pectin-treated animals, the higher synthetic rate corresponded to an increase in 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase activity.

KEY WORDS: • fiber • cholesterol metabolism • hepatocytes • rats

¹ Present address: Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute, 747 52nd Street, Oakland, CA 94609.

² To whom reprint requests should be addressed.

Manuscript received 7 August 1989. Revision accepted 14 February 1990.