Plasma lipids and liver histochemistry of rats fed sea-lion or corn oil with or without cholesterol supplementation.
Sea-lion oil (SO) is used as a dietary supplement in the treatment of cardiovascular disease. The effects of SO on plasma lipid concentration and liver lipid histochemistry were compared with those of corn oil (CO). Male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed diets containing 15% (w/w) SO or CO with or without 1% cholesterol for 25 days. Compared with rats fed CO, SO-fed rats showed lower plasma cholesterol levels (P < 0.001), high-density lipoproteins (HDL) (P < 0.05), very-low-density lipoproteins (P < 0.05), triglycerides (P < 0.05) and total lipids (P < 0.05). Rats fed SO and cholesterol had lower plasma concentrations of cholesterol (P < 0.001) and HDL (P < 0.05) than those of animals fed CO. Alterations in liver cytology were observed in rats fed SO, including a differential accumulation of lipids in the canalicular regions of hepatocytes and a high density of lipid vesicles in hepatic lobule triads. The results indicated that, compared with CO, SO reduces plasma lipid levels and causes histochemical changes associated with an increased excretion of lipids from the liver.
Escuela de Quimica y Farmacia, Universidad de Valparaíso, Chile.
M
M
Lutz
G
G
Ahumada
G
G
Ruiz
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003314:Corn Oil / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004042:Dietary Fats, Unsaturated / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood*; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D046070:Sea Lions
D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary; D004042:Dietary Fats, Unsaturated; D008055:Lipids; D003314:Corn Oil