Effects of renal factors on in vitro hepatic cholesterol synthesis in the rat

Abstract

Two products derived from rat renal tissue have been shown to affect in vitro hepatic cholesterol synthesis. A premevalonate inhibitor of hepatic cholesterol synthesis is associated with the membranes of the renal endoplasmic reticulum. It is stable at −75 C and at 4 C but is heat labile. A pre‐mevalonate stimulator of in vitro hepatic cholesterol synthesis is located within renal lysosomes and can be prepared in a nonsedimentable form by extraction with hypotonic buffer. While it is stable at −75 C, it loses activity at 4 C. Both of these products appear to have a molecular weight in excess of 150,000 as determined by gel filtration.