Lipoprotein levels and tissue lipids in fatty-fibrous atherosclerosis induced in rabbits by two years' cholesterol feeding at a low level.
A group of 12 young NZW rabbits of the same breeding strain were fed a diet enriched with 0.1% cholesterol by weight. The resulting modest hypercholesterolaemia resolved after 4-5 months. Two animals that died during this period showed no gross or microscopic atherosclerosis. After 6 months, the dietary cholesterol was increased to 0.2%. In some animals this resulted in moderate hypercholesterolaemia. One animal that died at this time showed no atherosclerosis with a mean serum cholesterol level of 224 mg/dl. Just after one year, dietary cholesterol was increased to 0.3%. This resulted in definite hypercholesterolaemia in some animals, but a few resisted the treatment with mean serum cholesterol levels around 40-60 mg/dl. In general, animals with established hypercholesterolaemia showed severe atherosclerosis, but often of a more fibrous and less cellular nature than is usual in the rabbit. Aortic wall cholesterol content (on a weight basis) correlated positively with serum cholesterol concentration (r = + 0.69, P approximately 0.05) and negatively with the ratio of HDL cholesterol to (LDL plus VLDL) cholesterol (double log plot: r = -0.79, P less than 0.025).
D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta / Q000473:pathology; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D008074:Lipoproteins / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D011817:Rabbits; D013997:Time Factors; D014018:Tissue Distribution
D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary; D008074:Lipoproteins; D002784:Cholesterol