THE EFFECT OF PANTETHINE, A PRECURSOR OF COENZYME A, ON BILE ACIDS AND LIPIDS IN RATS FED WITH A CHOLESTEROL DIET

The effect of pantethine on bile acids and lipids was studied by the washout technique in Wistar female rats fed for four weeks with a 1% cholesterol diet supplemented with 0.5% cholic acid, either containing or not containing 1% pantethine.

Pantethine caused a slight increase in the biliary cholesterol concentration with a significant decrease in the serum cholesterol, β-lipoprotein and triglyceride levels. An increase in the pool size, secretion rate and enterohepatic circulation rate of primary bile acids was at the same time observed in the animals. The production of lithogenic bile was, therefore, inhibited in rats fed with a cholesterol diet treated with pantethine.

An analysis of conjugated bile acids revealed a decrease in the glycine/taurine ratio of the whole bile acids as detected by high performance liquid chromatography as a result of pantethine administration.