title: Dietary cholesterol-induced xanthomatosis in atherosclerosis-susceptible Japanese quail (Cotunix japonica).
abstract: Japanese quail of a strain (SUS) susceptible to dietary cholesterol-induced atherosclerosis were fed a diet supplemented with cholesterol (0.5% w/w) for 4, 8 or 12 weeks. Plasma cholesterol increased significantly from 240-1550 mg/dl at 4 weeks and remained at that concentration for 8 and 12 weeks on the same diet. Plasma triglycerides (TGs) increased from 112-384 mg/dl after 4 weeks but showed no significant increases thereafter. Striking eruptive xanthomatous lesions were noticed on the feet of 50% of these birds at 4 weeks, and the percentage of birds affected increased to 85 after 12 weeks on the cholesterol-supplemented diet. This is the first report of xanthomatosis in birds. These birds had also developed atherosclerotic plaques in the aorta and brachiocephalic arteries by 4 weeks. There was no significant correlation between xanthoma scores and plasma cholesterol and TG concentrations at any of the three sampling periods (4, 8 and 12 weeks of cholesterol feeding). There was, however, a significant negative correlation (r = -0.61) between xanthoma scores and atherosclerotic plaque scores at 4 weeks. The correlation became non-significant at later stages of cholesterol exposure. Similarities between mammalian and SUS Japanese quail xanthomatosis may make the SUS quail a useful model for the study of this disorder.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Hoekstra
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Nichols
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Garnett
authors.forename: D V
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: Godin
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Cheng
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta / Q000473:pathology; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D001715:Bird Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003370:Coturnix; D008297:Male; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D014973:Xanthomatosis / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*
chemical_list: D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary; D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol