title: Effect of policosanol on lipofundin-induced atherosclerotic lesions in rats.
abstract: Policosanol is a mixture of higher aliphatic alcohols isolated from sugar cane wax, showing cholesterol-lowering effects and preventing the development of lipofundin-induced lesions in New Zealand rabbits. This study was conducted to determine whether policosanol orally administered to rats also protects against the development of lipofundin-induced atherosclerotic lesions. Fifty four male Wistar rats were randomly distributed amongst a negative control group, a positive control group intravenously injected with lipofundin for eight days, and four experimental groups also injected with lipofundin, but orally receiving policosanol at 0.5, 2.5, 5 and 25 mg kg-1, respectively. Policosanol treatment was orally administered once-a-day for eight days, while control groups similarly received equivalent amounts of vehicle. A significant reduction of the atherosclerotic lesions in the treated animals was observed. It is concluded that policosanol has a protective effect on lipofundin-induced aortic lesions in Wistar rats.
authors.affiliation: National Center for Scientific Research, Havana, Cuba.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Noa
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Más
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: de la Rosa
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Magraner
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001011:Aorta / Q000473:pathology; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004338:Drug Combinations; D005233:Fatty Alcohols / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013012:Sorbitol / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; D004338:Drug Combinations; D005233:Fatty Alcohols; D010743:Phospholipids; C008288:Lipofundin; C080710:policosanol; D013012:Sorbitol