The Effect of Dietary Fat and the Repeated Withdrawal of Small Samples of Blood on Plasma Cholesterol Levels in the Rat

Abstract

The influence of the nature and level of dietary fat on the plasma cholesterol level of the white rat has been investigated, with emphasis placed on the response to butter fat and corn oil. With diets varying in fat content from 0.6 to 58.5% of total calories, there was essentially no effect on plasma cholesterol level. When blood samples amounting to 1 to 1.5% of the total blood volume were taken on alternate days for 6 days, there occurred a highly significant increase in plasma cholesterol in all groups fed rations containing fat. When the degree of hemorrhage was increased to 2.5 to 4% of the total blood volume, even rats fed a fatfree diet responded with increases in plasma cholesterol. Young rats were more resistant to the hypercholesterolemic effect of hemorrhage than old rats.