METABOLIC STUDIES OF BILE ACIDS XX. ‘3β-HYDROXYSTEROL DEHYDROGENASE’ IN RAT LIVER

I. ACTIVITY AND FRACTIONATION OF RAT LIVER HOMOGENATE

Abstract

1. From the rat liver an active fraction, 3β-hydroxysterol dehydrogenase, was prepared which dehydrogenates 7α-hydroxycholesterol in the presence of DPN⁺. This fraction was also capable of oxidizing cholesterol, but neither 3α-hydroxy steroids in general nor 3β-hydroxy steroids of the C₁₉ and C21 series were affected.
2. A metabolic course of cholesterol to bile acid was discussed.
The authors are indebted to Prof. Dr. L. F. Fieser, Harvard University, for generous gifts of pregnenolone and other steroids. Thanks are due to Miss N. Hatano for her expert technical assistance during the course of this work.