Hepatic 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase activity and biliary lipid composition in man: relation to cholesterol gallstone disease and effects of cholic acid and chenodeoxycholic acid treatment

The present work was undertaken in order to study whether or not there is a relation between hepatic HMG CoA reductase, hepatic cholesterol concentration, and biliary lipid composition. In 55 patients (10 with adenomyoma of the gallbladder wall, 45 with cholesterol gallstones) a liver biopsy together with gallbladder and hepatic bile were obtained at laparotomy under standardized conditions. Of the gallstone patients, twelve had been treated with cholic acid and ten with chenodeoxycholic acid in a dose of 15 mg.kg-1.d-1 for 6-8 weeks prior to operation. Hepatic bile was supersaturated with cholesterol both in cholesterol gallstone patients and in patients with gallbladder adenomyoma. Treatment with cholic acid reduced the cholesterol saturation of hepatic bile, although supersaturation persisted. During chenodeoxycholic acid treatment, hepatic bile became unsaturated in most of the patients. Hepatic cholesterol concentration was about 20% higher in patients with cholesterol gallstone disease than in gallstone-free controls. During treatment with cholic acid or chenodeoxycholic acid, hepatic cholesterol concentration was normalized. Microsomal HMG CoA reductase activity was similar in males and females with cholesterol gallstone disease and not different from that seen in the gallstone-free controls. Treatment with chenodeoxycholic acid resulted in a 40% reduction of HMG CoA reductase activity. Cholic acid had no effect. In gallstone-free controls and in bile acid-treated but not in untreated gallstone patients, saturation of hepatic bile correlated with HMG CoA reductase activity. It is concluded that treatment with chenodeoxycholic acid but not with cholic acid results in unsaturated hepatic bile. This unsaturation may in part be explained by a decreased hepatic HMG CoA reductase activity.