1912.] Destiny of Cholesterol in the Animal Organism. 391 



a higher percentage of cholesterol than the normally fed rabbits. From 

 Eabbit I were obtained 1*18 grm. of bile, yielding 0-5457 per cent, free and 

 0"3151 per cent, ester cholesterol. From Babbit J the bile weighed 



1- 39 grm., yielding 0-1678 grm. free and 0'1329 ester cholesterol. 



Discussion of Results. 



Blood. — In Table I we gather together the results of estimations of 

 cholesterol and cholesterol esters in the blood of rabbits under the various 

 diets given in this and in a former paper. The results show that the 

 cholesterol-content of the blood after food depends on the sterol-content of 

 the food taken. In the case of animals in a state of inanition, which are 

 living on their own tissues, the blood, just as in the case of the liver, contains 

 an increased amount of both free and compound cholesterol. 



The results throw no light on what governs the relations of free and 

 combined cholesterol. 



Muscle. — The cholesterol-content appears to bear no relation to the sterol- 

 content of the diet. Iu the cabbage-fed and in the starving animals, the 

 mean total cholesterol in each case is 0-0693 and 0-0718. The total 

 cholesterol appears to vary from - 0437 to 0-0751 per cent. The results 

 throw no light on the variations of the relative proportions of free and 

 combined cholesterol. 



Brain— The percentage of free cholesterol varied in different animals from 



2 - 02 to 2 - 88. The mean of eight experiments was 2 - 315 per cent. In no 

 case was any evidence of the presence of cholesterol-esters found. 



Kicliiey. — The results do not indicate that the content of this tissue depends 

 in any way on diet. The average values for the animals fed on cabbage and 

 extracted bran, which were apparently in good health, are free cholesterol 

 - 2466 per cent, and ester cholesterol - 0596, figures which are not very 

 dissimilar from the mean of those given by Windaus* for normal human 

 kidneys, viz., free 0*24, and ester O02 per cent. In the case of the 

 starved animals the total cholesterol is much higher. The average figures 

 in the two experiments are total cholesterol 0-5211 per cent., free 

 - 3937 per cent., and ester 0*1274. The increase above normal is very 

 marked in the case of the ester. 



In the case of the two rabbits which had had oil injected into the 

 peritoneal cavity, and which were not in normal health, a similar increase 

 in the ester cholesterol, compared with the free, is noticeable, the average 



* " Uber die quantitative Bestimmung der cholesterin und der cholesterin colic in 

 einigen normal und pathologisehen Nieren," A. Windaus, 'Zeit. fiir physiol. Chem.,' 1910, 

 vol. 65, p. 114. 



