Abstract: | Dihydroxycoprostane and trihydroxycoprostane, intermediates in normal bile acid synthesis in the liver, enhanced the rate of porphyrin synthesis in cultured liver cells by induction of delta-aminolevulinate synthetase, the rate-limiting enzyme for this pathway. Other 5beta-cholestane derivatives and cholest-5-ene derivatives were ineffective. The selectivity of the induction may indicate that the above-mentioned coprostanes have a physiological role in porphyrin synthesis. |