The in vitro metabolism of desmosterol with adrenal and liver preparations.

IN a recent communication (2), it was demonstrated that in human subjects receiving triparanol therapy, 24-dehydrocholesterol (desmosterol) could serve as a direct precursor of several physiologically important compounds normally derived from cholesterol. The results indicated the direct conversion of desmosterol to both bile acids and to steroid hormones in these patients, and suggested that desmosterol was similar to cholesterol in its ability to serve as a precursor for these compoulnds. The present study compares the metabolism of desmosterol and cholesterol in in vitro adrenal and liver preparations. The results support the conclusion of the previous in vivo studies.