Total serum and liver cholesterol in germfree and conventional male rats

¹ Lobund, Department of Biology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana

Total serum and liver cholesterol values were determined in germfree and conventional Lobund strain male rats of various ages. The data indicate that in the absence of a microflora, serum cholesterol values are higher at an early age, to become slightly lower than found in conventional controls at the age of 100 days. In young, young adult, and old germfree rats, liver cholesterol values were always higher than in the conventional animals. It is speculated that better reabsorption of biliary cholic acid and cholesterol, unchanged because of the absence of a microflora, could be responsible for the higher liver cholesterol values found in the germfree animals.