Effects of Triton WR 1339 and orotic acid on lipid metabolism in rats

A procedure for inducing sustained hyperlipemia in rats by administration of a surfactant

Tyloxapol (Triton WR 1339) is a non-ionic detergent that inhibits lipoprotein lipase and thereby raises levels of serum lipids. It is used frequently for acute studies on lipids in rats but not for subacute or chronic studies. In the present work, we found that tyloxapol must be injected intravenously three times each week in order to have high and sustained levels of serum cholesterol and triglycerides for 1, 2, or 3 weeks. These results make it possible to extend the use of tyloxapol into chronic studies of hyperlipemia and vascular disease.

Use of a nonionic detergent (Triton WR 1339) in healthy cats to assess hepatic secretion of triglyceride

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether a nonionic detergent (Triton WR 1339) can be used in cats to assess hepatic secretion of triglyceride.

ANIMALS

28 healthy cats.

PROCEDURE

Triton WR 1339 was administered IV according to the following schedule: 5, 50, 150, and 250 mg/kg of body weight. Control cats did not receive an injection or received 0.9% NaCl or PBS solutions at the same osmolarity and volume as the 250 mg/kg group. Blood samples were collected throughout the 48-hour period after administration for determination of triglyceride and cholesterol concentrations and for RBC morphology and osmotic fragility studies.

RESULTS

Administration of Triton WR 1339 at 150 and 250 mg/kg caused profound hypertriglyceridemia. Triglyceride concentrations increased in a curvilinear fashion for the first 2 hours and remained increased for approximately 24 hours. Area under the time-concentration curve for triglyceride at 5 hours differed significantly among groups. At 12 and 24 hours, cholesterol was significantly higher in cats receiving 250 mg/kg. The most dramatic changes in osmotic fragility and RBC morphology were in cats receiving 250 mg/kg; 1 of these cats developed severe icterus and died 5 days later. Feeding rice and casein before administering Triton WR 1339 at 150 mg/kg did not appear to affect the hypertriglyceridemia response.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Triton WR 1339 can be administered IV to cats at a rate of 150 mg/kg to assess hepatic triglyceride secretion, although some cats may have increased RBC osmotic fragility. Higher dosages caused substantial adverse effects, whereas lower dosages did not alter plasma triglyceride concentration.

The effect of the mode of administration on the hypolipidaemic activity of niacin: continuous gastrointestinal administration of low-dose niacin improves lipid-lowering efficacy in experimentally-induced hyperlipidaemic rats

The effect of different routes and modes of administration of niacin (nicotinic acid) on its hypolipidaemic activity has been evaluated. Our working hypothesis was that the major sites of niacin action are located presystemically (i.e. in the gut wall or the liver, or both) which would make niacin a gastrointestinal drug. For such drugs continuous administration to the gastrointestinal tract is expected to augment their efficacy compared with bolus oral administration or parenteral administration. The hypothesis was examined in two rat models of experimentally induced hyperlipidaemia-Model A, based on a cholesterol-enriched diet, and Model B, in which acute hyperlipidaemia is induced by intraperitoneal administration of triton (225 mg kg(-1)). Continuous administration of niacin into the duodenum at 1.66 mg h(-1) (total dose 40 mg kg(-1) day(-1)) for up to 7 days (Model A) or at 2.22 mg h(-1) over 18 h (Model B) had significantly greater lipid-reducing effects both on total cholesterol and on triglyceride levels (15-25%) and elevation of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels than did bolus oral administration of the same dose. Continuous duodenal infusion of niacin also had an even greater lipid-reducing effect than continuous intravenous infusion of the drug at the same rate and dose. The results indicate that the site(s) of action are located presystemically and that continuous duodenal administration of a low dose of niacin (40 mg kg(-1)) has a greater lipid-lowering effect than a higher dose (200 mg kg(-1)) administered by peroral bolus administration. These conclusions were validated by administration of a specially designed niacin sustained-release matrix tablet formulation that was non-invasively administered to hyperlipidaemic rats. The hypolipidaemic activity of the sustained-release tablet was of similar magnitude to that resulting from continuous duodenal administration, thus providing a pharmacodynamic rationale for this mode of administration.

Effects of Triton WR 1339 and orotic acid on biliary and serum dolichols in rats

Two lysosomal storage diseases, aspartylglucosaminuria and mannosidosis, are associated with highly elevated serum dolichol concentrations. To elucidate possible mechanisms leading to elevated serum dolichols, we studied the effects of Triton WR 1339 (known to increase serum cholesterol) and orotic acid (known to decrease serum cholesterol) on blood and biliary dolichol and beta-hexosaminidase levels in rats. In Triton WR 1339-treated rats, serum dolichol was markedly increased compared with saline-treated controls 1 (400 +/- 70 ng/mL, n = 7 v 85 +/- 11 ng/mL, n = 8, P < .001), 4 (789 +/- 70 ng/mL, n = 10 v 110 +/- 10 ng/mL, n = 7, P < .0001), and 8 (549 +/- 43 ng/mL, n = 8 v 87 +/- 8 ng/mL, n = 7, P < .001) days after administration of the drug. By contrast, serum dolichol was decreased (64 +/- 5 ng/mL, n = 8 v 119 +/- 7 ng/mL, n = 8, P < .0001) after a 7-day orotic acid feeding compared with controls. Serum beta-hexosaminidase was unaffected by both treatments. Orotic acid also increased biliary dolichol (280 +/- 47 ng/100 g body weight [BW]/h, n = 7 v 83 +/- 15 ng/100 g BW/h, n = 7, P < .01) and beta-hexosaminidase (21 +/- 3 mU/100 g BW/h, n = 7 v 8.3 +/- 2 mU/100 g BW/h, n = 9, P < .01) excretion compared with controls. Thus, both Triton WR 1339 and orotic acid have an effect on dolichol metabolism, and it is conceivable--based on our results--that serum dolichol concentrations are regulated, at least in part, by a mechanism similar to that for serum cholesterol levels.

Bile acid metabolism in young-old parabiotic rats

Serum cholesterol, triglyceride and phospholipid levels, liver cholesterol concentration, bile flow, biliary cholesterol, phospholipid and bile acid secretion rates, fecal sterol and bile acid levels and their bile acid compositions were examined in young-old parabiotic rats and compared with those in young and old control rats and young-young parabiotic rats. Bile acid composition was expressed in terms of the cholic acid group/chenodeoxycholic acid group (CA/CDCA) ratio. Body weight (BW) gain decreased after parabiosis especially in old rats, but the liver weight (g/100 g BW), diet-intake, feces dry weight, liver cholesterol concentration and fecal sterol level were almost the same in all the groups. The biliary bile acid secretion rate was higher and the fecal bile acid level was lower in old rats than those in young rats but both the levels became comparable with those in young rats after parabiosis of old rats with young rats. Young rats, however, showed no changes in these levels after parabiosis. The serum cholesterol level and the biliary and fecal CA/CDCA ratios in old rats were higher than those in young rats but decreased after parabiosis with young rats, although they were still higher than those in young rats. The serum cholesterol level in young rats increased after parabiosis with old rats, but not after parabiosis with young rats, and the fecal bile acid level and the CA/CDCA ratio were not changed in either case. It is concluded from these findings that the serum cholesterol level and the CA/CDCA ratio increased with age and that these increases were prevented after parabiosis with young rats while young rats, although their serum cholesterol level was increased, showed no increase in the CA/CDCA ratio after parabiosis with old rats.

Influence of cholesterol feeding on bile acid metabolism in young and aged germ-free rats

The effects of cholesterol feeding on serum and liver cholesterol levels, fecal and biliary bile acid levels, bile acid pool size and bile acid composition were examined in 2-, 12- and 24-month-old male germ-free rats. The major bile acids in these animals were cholic and beta-muricholic acids. Cholesterol feeding increased synthesis of bile acids by 3- to 4-fold, especially that of chenodeoxycholic acid (mainly beta-muricholic acid in the rat), decreasing the cholic acid/chenodeoxycholic acid (CA/CDCA) ratio in all rats regardless of age, even though the CA/CDCA ratio increased as a linear function of age in both diet groups. Cholesterol feeding increased the serum cholesterol level markedly in aged rats. This hypercholesterolemia may be produced by the increase in CA/CDCA ratio in aged rats.

Influence of orotic acid on performance, liver lipid content, and egg cholesterol level of laying hens

Three experiments were conducted to determine the effects of dietary orotic acid (OA) on laying hen performance, liver lipid content, and plasma and egg cholesterol levels. Laying hens were fed a basal diet supplemented with 0, .5, 1.0, and 2.0% OA for 8 wk. Performance of the hens and cholesterol levels were measured at biweekly intervals. In all three experiments, OA decreased (P less than .05) BW in a linear manner. In two experiments, OA caused a linear decrease in total liver lipid (P less than .05), and in a third experiment OA resulted in a quadratic effect (P less than .01) on liver lipid content. There were no effects observed by OA supplementation on egg weight, yolk weight, percentage yolk, or egg production. Orotic acid failed to influence egg cholesterol content in any of the biweekly measurements of the three experiments. In two experiments, total plasma cholesterol content was not influenced by OA supplementation. Orotic acid significantly reduced (P less than .05) free and total plasma cholesterol in a third experiment when measured at Weeks 4, 6, and 8 of the experiment. The data indicate that OA is an ineffective dietary supplement for reducing egg cholesterol levels in laying hens.

Age–related changes of bile acid metabolism in rats

Cholesterol and bile acid leves were examined in young (8 weeks), middle-aged (12 months) and old (24 months) germ-free male rats, and young (8 weeks) and middle-aged (12 months) conventional male rats. The plasma cholesterol levels were higher in the aged rats, being more marked in the conventional rats. The liver cholesterol levels also increased with age and the increases were almost identical for both groups. No age-related changes were found in the biliary bile acid secretion, the pool size and distribution of bile acids in the bile, small intestine and large intestine, nor in the turnover frequency of bile acids, but the pool size in the young and middle-aged germ-free rats was much larger than that in the conventional rats. The turnover frequency was less in the germ-free rats. The bile acid synthesis presumed from the fecal bile acid excretion decreased in the aged germ-free rats but not in the conventional rats. A most remarkable age-related change was found in the bile acid composition; cholic acid increased and beta-muricholic acid derived from chenodeoxycholic acid in the rat decreased by aging, resulting in an increase of the CA/CDCA ratio (bile acids belonging to the cholic acid group/bile acids to the chenodeoxycholic acid group) in the bile, feces and pool. These results suggest that cholic acid synthesis increases while chenodeoxycholic acid synthesis is impaired by aging in rats.