Cell cholesterol esters and high-density lipoprotein plasma levels during liver hyperplasia in choline-fed male and female rats

Sexual dimorphism exists in the response of rats to lead nitrate, liver hyperplasia occuring earlier and being more pronounced in males. Excess dietary choline in females shifted the growth pattern towards that of males. To determine whether phosphatidylcholine-induced growth modulations could be re...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of experimental pathology 2000-08, Vol.81 (4), p.241-248
Main Authors: TESSITORE, L, BATETTA, B, VIZIO, B, MULAS, M. F, MARENGO, B, DESSI, S
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Biological and medical sciences
Cholesterol Esters - metabolism
Choline - pharmacology
Female
Gastroenterology. Liver. Pancreas. Abdomen
Hyperplasia - chemically induced
Hyperplasia - metabolism
Lead
Lipoproteins, HDL - blood
Liver - drug effects
Liver - metabolism
Liver - pathology
Liver. Biliary tract. Portal circulation. Exocrine pancreas
Male
Medical sciences
Nitrates
Original
Other diseases. Semiology
Rats
Rats, Wistar
Sex Characteristics
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Summary:Sexual dimorphism exists in the response of rats to lead nitrate, liver hyperplasia occuring earlier and being more pronounced in males. Excess dietary choline in females shifted the growth pattern towards that of males. To determine whether phosphatidylcholine-induced growth modulations could be related to a derangement of cholesterol metabolism, liver accumulation of cholesterol esters and plasma lipoprotein patterns were investigated. In males, lead-induced liver hyperplasia was associated with increased total cholesterol hepatic content, accumulated cholesterol esters and reduced concentration of plasma High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. Females were less responsive to the liver mitogenic signal of lead nitrate; there was no elevation of cholesterol content nor any marked accumulation of cholesterol esters. This is consistent with the lack of change in the plasma levels of HDL cholesterol. Continuous choline feeding displaced the liver cholesterol ester pattern and plasma HDL cholesterol levels in females, and in parallel that of DNA synthesis, towards those of males. Choline was not observed to have any effect in males. These results suggest that the derangement of phosphatidylcholine metabolism induces growth-related changes in cholesterol turnover; they are consistent with the proposal that the intracellular content of cholesterol esters may have a role in regulating liver growth rates.
ISSN:0959-9673
1365-2613
DOI:10.1046/j.1365-2613.2000.00159.x