Bile flow impairment of ventro-medial hypothalamus lesioned obese rats
Di Padova, C.; Rovagnati, P.; Uggeri, F.; Mazzocchi, M.; Pecile, A.
Methods and Findings in Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology 3(3): 155-159
1981
ISSN/ISBN: 0379-0355 PMID: 7253771 Document Number: 176086
Cholesterol supersaturation of bile has been reported in human obesity. Since electrolytic lesions placed in the ventro-medial hypothalamus induce hyperphagia and obesity in the rat, bile flow and lipid composition were studied 2 mo. after the induction of such stereotaxic lesions in a group of 10 animals and in their sham-operated controls. Bile flow was significantly lower in obese rats than in controls. The bile flow reduction was attributed to a decrease of the bile acid independent fraction, since no variation in bile acid excretion rate and in bile to plasma ratio of [14C] erythritol was seen between the 2 groups. Plasma cholesterol and triglycerides were higher in ventro-medial hypothalamus lesioned rats; biliary cholesterol and phospholipid excretion rates were similar in the 2 groups. Stereotaxic lesions of the ventromedial hypothalamus in the rat significantly reduce bile flow, suggesting a correlation between active Na transport at the canalicular level and neuroendocrine hypothalamic function, but fail to induce qualitative alterations of bile composition.