Vitamin E and factors affecting atherosclerosis in rabbits fed a cholesterol-rich diet.
The present study aims to examine the effects of a palm-oil-derived vitamin E mixture containing tocotrienol (approximately 70%) and tocopherol (approximately 30%) on plasma lipids and on the formation of atherosclerotic plaques in rabbits given a 2% cholesterol diet. Eighteen New Zealand White rabbits (2.2-2.8 kg) were divided into three groups; group 1 (control) was fed a normal diet, group 2 (AT) was fed a 2% cholesterol diet and group 3 (PV) was fed a 2% cholesterol diet with oral palm vitamin E (60 mg/kg body weight) given daily for 10 weeks. There were no differences in the total cholesterol and triacylglycerol levels between the AT and PV groups. The PV group had a significantly higher concentrations of HDL-c and a lower TC/HDL-c ratio compared to the AT group (P < 0.003). The aortic tissue content of cholesterol and atherosclerotic lesions were comparable in both the AT and PV groups. However, the PV group had a lower content of plasma and aortic tissue malondialdehyde (P < 0.005). Our findings suggest that despite a highly atherogenic diet, palm vitamin E improved some important plasma lipid parameters, reduced lipid peroxidation but did not have an effect on the atherosclerotic plaque formation.
Ismail
N M
NM
Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz, 50300 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Abdul Ghafar
N
N
Jaarin
K
K
Khine
J H
JH
Top
G M
GM
D000818:Animals; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism*; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL / Q000097:blood; D008079:Lipoproteins, VLDL / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D011817:Rabbits; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism*
D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL; D008079:Lipoproteins, VLDL; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic; D014280:Triglycerides; D014810:Vitamin E