Strain-specific response to hypercholesterolaemic diets in the rat.
The cholesterolaemic effect of 2 hypercholesterolaemic diets was tested in 12 rat inbred strains. Diet I is a commercial diet supplemented with 2.0% (w/w) cholesterol and 5.0% (w/w) olive oil; diet II is identical to diet I with addition of 0.5% (w/w) sodium cholate. Strains with the highest plasma cholesterol response after diet I (BN and LEW) also had the highest cholesterol response after diet II (hyperresponders, mean response > 3.5 mmol/l). In the strains DA, SHR, BC, WAG, LOU, PVG and BUF the strain mean cholesterol response remained below 1.3 mmol/l after both diets (hyporesponders). Strains F344 and OM had an intermediate cholesterol response after both diets (normoresponders, mean response between 1.3 and 3.5 mmol/l). Only in the strains LOU, PVG and SHR there appeared to be a significant higher cholesterol response after diet II when compared with the cholesterol response after diet I. In the strain WKY this difference was of a borderline significance (P = 0.052) and this strain turned from a normoresponder after diet I into a hyperresponder after diet II. Liver cholesterol levels as measured after feeding diet II for two weeks also appeared to be strain-specific. No correlation was found between the plasma cholesterol response after diet II and the liver cholesterol levels. Changes in plasma phospholipid and triglyceride levels have been measured for both diet I and diet II. For group means a correlation between the cholesterol response and the change in phospholipid levels was found (r = 0.86 for diet I, P < 0.001 and r = 0.76 for diet II, P < 0.01). No such correlation was found for triglyceride levels.
Bottger
A
A
Department of Laboratory Animal Science, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, The Netherlands.
den Bieman
M
M
Lankhorst
A E
AE
van Lith
H A
HA
van Zutphen
L F
LF
D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005526:Food, Formulated; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000097:blood; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013045:Species Specificity; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary; D010743:Phospholipids; D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol