Comparative atherogenic effects of cholesterol and cholesterol oxides.
Previous findings indicating that the oxidation products of cholesterol are associated with atherogenicity have led to a comparative study of the subchronic effects of feeding rabbits purified cholesterol, oxidized cholesterols free of cholesterol and cholesterol esters, or a mixture of cholesterol and oxidized cholesterols. Macroscopically, the cholesterol-fed animals exhibited 6-fold more arterial lesions than the animals fed cholesterol-free oxidized cholesterols. Microscopically, there was no statistically significant difference from the control in the number of histochemically-defined lesions in any of the groups. However, the lesions in the cholesterol-fed group were more severe, as indicated by a statistically significant increase in the magnitude of the lesions. This increased severity was also characterized by greater frequency and intensity of Azure A/Thionin, VonKossa, and Horseradish Peroxidase-Wheat Germ Agglutinin staining. Electron-microscopic studies of normal appearing arterial tissues showed an increased density of viable smooth muscle cells and an increase in vacuolar extracellular debris in the cholesterol-fed group. Oxidized cholesterols in the concentrations and relative compositions administered here are markedly less atherogenic to rabbits than highly purified cholesterol.
D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta / Q000648:ultrastructure; D001158:Arteries / Q000648:ultrastructure; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004036:Diet, Atherogenic; D005260:Female; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D011817:Rabbits
D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary; C002415:cholesterol alpha-oxide; D002784:Cholesterol