Aortic antioxidant defense and lipid peroxidation in rabbits fed diets supplemented with different animal and plant fats.
OBJECTIVE
To test the hypothesis that dietary fats, depending on the fat source, may modulate aortic lipid peroxidation and antioxidant protection.


METHODS
Rabbits were fed a low fat (LF, 2 g/100 g corn oil) diet or LF enriched with 16 g/100 g (w/w) of corn oil (CO), corn oil plus cholesterol (23.5 mg/100 g diet, CO + C), bovine milk fat (MF), chicken fat (CF), beef tallow (BT) or lard (L). After a 30-day feeding period, aortic lipid peroxidation, as well as antioxidant enzymes and vitamin E were measured.


RESULTS
In rabbits fed CO or L, aortic TBARS (a marker of lipid peroxidation) and total glutathione concentrations were greater but vitamin E levels were lower compared with the LF treatment. Moreover, in rabbits fed CO, elevated activities of glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase but lowered activity of superoxide dismutase were observed. In rabbits fed the remaining high fat diets, including the CO + C diet, aortic lipid peroxidation and antioxidant activities/levels did not differ from those fed LF. Feeding rabbits high-fat diets for 30 days did not induce aortic lipid deposition.


CONCLUSIONS
The present results indicate CO, and possibly L, as the fat sources which significantly increase aortic oxidative stress. Because long-term disturbances in redox status may be implicated in atherogenesis, excessive dietary intake of CO or L may significantly contribute to the injury of the vessel wall.
Toborek
M
M
Department of Surgery, University of Kentucky Medical Center, Lexington 40536, USA.
Feldman
D L
DL
Hennig
B
B
D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000209:etiology; D002417:Cattle; D002645:Chickens; D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity; D003314:Corn Oil / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D011817:Rabbits; D011897:Random Allocation; D013552:Swine; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances / Q000032:analysis*; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000097:blood*
D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary; D004041:Dietary Fats; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances; D014810:Vitamin E; D003314:Corn Oil