| Abstract: | We have investigated the effects of four drugs on aspects of lipid metabolism in rats. The four drugs used were: tibric acid = 2-chloro-5-(cis--3,5-dimethylpiperidonosulfonyl)benzoic acid; DH 990 = 2-[(3,5-di-t-butyl-4-hy-droxyphenyl)thio]hexanoic acid; oxandrolone = 17beta-hydroxyphenyl-17a-methyl-2-oxa-5a-androstan-3-one; and Sch 9122=2-(p-anisyl)-3(2-pyridyl)pentane hydrochloride. Serum and liver triglycerides and liver cholesterol, 7a-hydroxylase and 26-oxidase were determined. Tibric acid (0.015%) was hepatomegalic and hypotriglyceridemic. It did not affect normal 7a-hydroxylase or 26-oxidase activity. In the absence of cytosal, this drug resulted in normal mitochondrial cholesterol-26-oxidase activity whereas none was observed with preparations from control rats. DH 990 (0.075%) did not affect liver size. It had a slight (10--20%) hypolipidemic effect. The effects of DH 990 on the two liver enzymes were similar to those of tibric acid. In view of the absence of a hepatomegalic effect of DH 990, its influence on mitochondrial oxidation of cholesterol in the absence of cytosol is noteworthy. Oxandrolone (0.15%) had a slight (11%) hepatomegalic effect but did not influence serum of liver lipid levels. This drug caused a 19% increase in liver 7a-hydroxylase activity but did not affect cholesterol-26-oxidase activity in the presence or absence of cytosol. Sch 9122 (0.03%) caused significant weight loss. Serum and liver cholesterol levels were unaffected, but serum triglyceride levels were significantly elevated in rats fed this drug. Cholesterol-7a-hydroxylase activity was slightly (11%) higher than normal, but 26-oxidase was significantly lower. |
