title: Alpha-tocopherol protects against diet induced atherosclerosis in New Zealand white rabbits.
abstract: In this study, we asked the question "does alpha-tocopherol supplementation prevent an increase in total plasma cholesterol (TPC) concentration and reduce the deposition of cholesterol in arterial plaques of rabbits fed atherogenic diets?" Isocaloric diets containing 0.1% cholesterol to induce atherosclerosis were enriched in one of three fats: saturated fats (SAT), monounsaturated fats (MONO), or n-6 polyunsaturated fats (POLY). Half of each of the three diets were supplemented with 2,500 IU alpha-tocopherol/kg-diet. Unsupplemented diets contained 25 IU alpha-tocopherol/kg-diet. Rabbits supplemented with alpha-tocopherol had plasma alpha-tocopherol concentrations 10-fold higher and an average TPC concentration 31% lower, P = 0.017, than rabbits fed unsupplemented diets. Among the three fat-fed groups, the difference was greatest for the POLY fat fed group (54%, P = 0.041). POLY fat-fed rabbits without alpha-tocopherol supplementation had plasma HDL cholesterol concentrations that were less than half that of rabbits fed other fats, P < or = 0.0001. In general, differences in mean esterified artery cholesterol concentrations among the three fat-fed groups, with and without alpha-tocopherol supplementation, paralleled differences in TPC concentration among the groups. This study suggests that for rabbits fed high pharmacological doses of alpha-tocopherol, atherosclerosis can be diminished in situations where the plasma cholesterol concentrations are also significantly lower.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Dawn C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Schwenke
authors.forename: Lawrence L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Rudel
authors.forename: Mary G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Sorci-Thomas
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Thomas
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001158:Arteries / Q000737:chemistry; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000032:analysis; D004036:Diet, Atherogenic; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000494:pharmacology; D004042:Dietary Fats, Unsaturated / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis; D011817:Rabbits; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D004041:Dietary Fats; D004042:Dietary Fats, Unsaturated; D005227:Fatty Acids; D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol