ROLE OF PLASMA CHOLESTEROL IN RAT-ADRENAL CORTICOSTEROIDOGENESIS <I>IN VITRO</I>

Abstract

Rat-adrenal glands were shown to accumulate cholesterol-4-14C which was administered intraperitoneally. The administered cholesterol entered the adrenal gland in free form and then was transformed gradually to the ester form in the tissue. The results of the present experiments reveal that cholesterol either derived from plasma or biosynthesized in vitro from acetate within cells can serve as the precursor for corticosterone biosynthetsis in vitro. The present results also indicate that mitochondrial cholesterol in free form but not in ester form is utilized for corticosterone biosynthesis. This confirms previous works.