scholarly journals The reversibility of the Δ8-cholestenol–Δ7-cholestenol isomerase reaction in cholesterol biosynthesis

1969 ◽  
Vol 114 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-73 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. C. Wilton ◽  
A. D. Rahimtula ◽  
M Akhtar

The incubation of Δ7-cholestenol with a 10000g supernatant or 105000g microsomes in the presence of tritiated water is studied. The reisolated Δ7-cholestenol contained up to 0·67g.atom of tritium/mole. This result can best be explained by assuming the reversibility of the reaction Δ8-cholestenol ⇌ Δ7-cholestenol.

1969 ◽  
Vol 111 (5) ◽  
pp. 757-761 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Akhtar ◽  
I. A. Watkinson ◽  
A. D. Rahimtula ◽  
D. C. Wilton ◽  
K. A. Munday

The biosynthesis of cholesterol from squalene and tritiated water is described. Degradation of the cholesterol indicated that C-15 may be involved in cholesterol biosynthesis. In accordance with this view it is shown that in the conversion of [2RS−3H2]mevalonic acid into cholesterol one of the hydrogen atoms at C-15 is removed. A mechanism for the removal of the 14α-methyl group in steroid biosynthesis that involves the labilization of a C-15 hydrogen atom is outlined. In accordance with the requirement of this scheme it is shown that 4,4′-dimethyl-cholesta-8,14-dien-3β-ol is converted into cholesterol.


1969 ◽  
Vol 114 (4) ◽  
pp. 801-806 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Akhtar ◽  
A. D. Rahimtula ◽  
D. C. Wilton

Cholesterol is biosynthesized from squalene in the presence of tritiated water. Chemical degradation reveals that a considerable percentage of the total radioactivity is present at C-15. This result confirms the previous observations on the involvement of a C-15 hydrogen atom in cholesterol biosynthesis.


Author(s):  
S. K. Pena ◽  
C. B. Taylor ◽  
J. Hill ◽  
J. Safarik

Introduction: Oxidized cholesterol derivatives have been demonstrated in various cell cultures to be very potent inhibitors of 3-hvdroxy-3- methylglutaryl Coenzyme A reductase which is a principle regulator of cholesterol biosynthesis in the cell. The cholesterol content in the cells exposed to oxidized cholesterol was found to be markedly decreased. In aortic smooth muscle cells, the potency of this effect was closely related to the cytotoxicity of each derivative. Furthermore, due to the similarity of their molecular structure to that of cholesterol, these oxidized cholesterol derivatives might insert themselves into the cell membrane, alter membrane structure and function and eventually cause cell death. Arterial injury has been shown to be the initial event of atherosclerosis.


1969 ◽  
Vol 61 (3) ◽  
pp. 432-440 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ingvar Sjöholm ◽  
Gunnar Rydén

ABSTRACT The distribution of oxytocin in the kidneys, liver, uterus and skeletal muscle of the rat was followed during 10 min after intravenous injection of tritium labelled oxytocin. Oxytocin was found to be taken up and degraded mainly in the kidneys and the liver. After 150 seconds no intact oxytocin could be detected in these organs. The time course of the distribution of the radioactivity in the liver and the skeletal muscle showed no noteworthy characteristics, whereas a different course was found in the kidneys and in the uterus. In the kidneys, the radioactivity increased continuously from 60 to 200 seconds after the injection, indicating an accumulation of oxytocin or its metabolites in the kidneys. In the uterus a high initial uptake was observed, followed by a decrease of the radioactivity from 60 to 100 seconds after the injection. This distribution pattern was specific to oxytocin, since the uptake of tritiated tyrosine and tritiated water was almost constant during the same time period. These findings may indicate a preferential distribution of oxytocin to the uterus.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Dornbos ◽  
Amanda Jurgelewicz ◽  
Kelly A. Fader ◽  
Kurt Williams ◽  
Timothy R. Zacharewski ◽  
...  

Abstract The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) is a ligand-activated transcription factor. The prototypical ligand of the AHR is an environmental contaminant called 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD). TCDD exposure is associated with many adverse health outcomes in humans including non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Previous studies suggest that AHR ligands alter cholesterol homeostasis in mice through repression of genes involved in cholesterol biosynthesis, such as Hmgcr, which encodes the rate-limiting enzyme of cholesterol biosynthesis called 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl coenzyme A reductase (HMGCR). In this study, we sought to characterize the impact of HMGCR repression in TCDD-induced liver injury. C57BL/6 mice were exposed to TCDD in the presence or absence of simvastatin, a competitive inhibitor of HMGCR. Simvastatin exposure decreased TCDD-induced hepatic lipid accumulation in both sexes, but was most prominent in females. Simvastatin and TCDD (S + T) co-treatment increased hepatic AHR-battery gene expression and liver injury in male, but not female, mice. In addition, the S + T co-treatment led to an increase in hepatic glycogen content that coincides with heavier liver in female mice. Results from this study suggest that statins, which are amongst the most prescribed pharmaceuticals, may protect from AHR-mediated steatosis, but alter glycogen metabolism and increase the risk of TCDD-elicited liver damage in a sex-specific manner.


Author(s):  
John R Burnett ◽  
Samuel D Vasikaran

Atherosclerotic heart disease and osteoporosis are both diseases of old age. Evidence is accumulating for a link between vascular and bone disease. Calcification is a common feature of atherosclerotic plaques, and osteoporosis is associated with both atherosclerosis and vascular calcification. However, the relationship of vascular calcification to the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis remains incompletely understood. Hormone replacement therapy has beneficial effects in the prevention of both atherosclerosis and osteoporosis. Bisphosphonates inhibit bone resorption and are used in the treatment of osteoporosis, whereas the statins inhibit cholesterol biosynthesis and are used for the treatment of atherosclerosis. We have reviewed recent advances in the knowledge of the actions of bisphosphonates and statins at the cellular, molecular and end-organ levels in order to examine the relationship between cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis and to explore the link between lipids and bones. These studies suggest that the mechanism of actions of these two classes of drugs at the cellular level may not be mutually exclusive. There are some early clinical data to complement these findings, suggesting that statins increase bone density and bisphosphonates may have a beneficial effect in vivo on plasma lipid levels and on the atherosclerotic process. Properly designed prospective studies that examine the effect of statins on bone density and fractures, as well as the effects of bisphosphonates on lipid profiles, atherosclerotic progression and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality are needed to define clearly the clinical effects and potential new roles for these agents.


1981 ◽  
Vol 21 (111) ◽  
pp. 395 ◽  
Author(s):  
E Juwarini ◽  
B Howard ◽  
BD Siebert ◽  
JJ Lynch ◽  
RL Elwin

A preliminary experiment with sheep in pens demonstrated that wheat grain could be labelled with tritiated water so that when fed it could provide data that would allow accurate calculation of individual feed consumption. This techinque was used with two groups of sheep fed supplementary wheat grain in paddocks. Half of the animals had previous experience of grain feeding some eight months earlier and the others had not eaten grain. Individual diversity of intake could be estimated usefully by tritium labelling of wheat, which was fed to the sheep in a group. The experiment showed that there was a threefold difference in the amount of wheat eaten between the lowest and highest intakes. Further, animals with previous experience of grain feeding consumed the entire ration initially, but those without previous experience did not consume all of the ration until two weeks after wheat feeding began. Over the period of measurement the experienced sheep consumed about 13% more wheat than the non-experienced group. There were insufficient aggressive acts to establish a dominance hierarchy in either group, although the experienced sheep were more aggressive than the others. Aggressiveness by one sheep towards other sheep did not result in higher wheat intakes by the former compared with other sheep in the group. The results are discussed in terms of the variability in acceptance of such supplements by animals, and of the value, later in life, of early introduction of supplementary feeding.


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