Studies on the link between HMG-CoA reductase and cholesterol 7 alpha-hydroxylase in lymph-fistula rats: evidence for both transcriptional and post-transcriptional mechanisms for down-regulation of the two enzymes by bile acids

Abstract

The mechanism of down-regulation of hepatic HMG-CoA reductase and cholesterol 7 alpha-hydroxylase by cholic acid (CA) and chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) was investigated in rats with a lymph fistula. In accordance with the contention that bile acids are able to down-regulate HMG-CoA reductase by a mechanism independent of their effect on cholesterol absorption, inclusion of the above bile acids in diet (1%, wt/wt) reduced the HMG-CoA reductase specific activity by about 80%. The levels of mRNA were reduced by about 50% and the transcription rate (nuclear run-on) by 27% and 35%, respectively. Thus, HMG-CoA reductase appears to be regulated at both a transcriptional and a post-transcriptional level by bile acids. The cholesterol 7 alpha-hydroxylase activity as well as the corresponding mRNA levels were both reduced by about 50% by the same treatments. The transcription rate of the cholesterol 7 alpha-hydroxylase was not significantly affected by the treatment with CDCA, whereas the CA treatment reduced the transcription rate by about 24%. It is evident that bile acids regulate these two enzymes by different mechanisms in this model, in spite of the fact that the levels of mRNA were affected to about the same degree. The most obvious difference was the marked suppression of HMG-CoA reductase activity by cholic acid with relatively modest effects on transcription rate and level of mRNA. The latter finding is interesting in view of recent reports that dietary cholesterol also seems to down-regulate HMG-CoA reductase predominantly by a post-transcriptional mechanism.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)