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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.
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