Effects of Long-Term Feeding of Fat-Free Diets to Cebus Monkeys

Abstract

Diets free of fat were fed to 9 Cebus monkeys for periods ranging from 8 to 22 months, and diets containing 8% by weight as corn oil were fed to 4 Cebus monkeys. Differences in fatty acid composition and cholesterol concentrations in a wide variety of tissues were determined and their significance discussed. A detailed histological examination of the monkeys was also made. Many of the biochemical and some of the histological changes characteristic of fat deficiency in rats were observed in the Cebus monkeys. The accumulation of increased concentrations of cholesterol esters in the liver and adrenals, which is characteristic of fat deficiency in rats, was not observed in the Cebus monkeys fed diets devoid of fat.