Comparisons of Atherogenesis in Rabbits Fed Liquid Oil, Hydrogenated Oil, Wheat Germ and Sucrose

Abstract

With rabbits fed cholesterol-supplemented chow, equicaloric amounts of the following were compared for their effect on atherogenesis: cottonseed oil, hydrogenated cottonseed oil, wheat germ, and sucrose. Severity of atherosclerosis after 5 months was greatest on the wheat germsupplemented diet, whereas there were no differences among the other three groups. There was no correlation between the severity of atherosclerosis and either terminal plasma or liver cholesterol concentrations. The animals on the sucrose diet exhibited the lowest serum cholesterol levels. One litter, distributed among all dietary groups, developed practically no lesions. Animals on the high-fat diets exhibited liver cholesterol concentrations about three times as high as those on the low-fat intake. Most of this increase occurred in the cholesterol ester fraction.