Cholesterol metabolism and vitamin B6: II. Intestinal cholesterogenesis in vitamin B6 deficient rats

The in vitro incorporation of 1-¹⁴C-acetate into cholesterol by vitamin B₆ deficient and pair-fed rat intestinal tissue was assayed. It was found that vitamin B₆ deficiency increases, by a twofold factor, the incorporation of 1-¹⁴C-acetate into the cholesterol biosynthetic chain, when using a segment of the ileum, and on the other hand no increase was observed when using a segment from the jejunum. The production of¹⁴CO₂ from 1-¹⁴C-acetate was not found altered by a vitamin B₆ deficiency when using segments from the jejunum or the ileum. The effect of sodium cholate and sodium chenodeoxycholate on the incorporation of radioactivity into cholesterol and on the production of radioactive CO₂, with 1-¹⁴C-acetate as a substrate, was assayed with the two groups of animals. The significance of these findings and the posible relationships between these factors are discussed.