Role of Hyperlipemia in the Genesis of Hypercholesteremia.

Abstract

Male Long Evans rats were fed chow with 2% cholic acid and 2% olive oil for 7 days, and further received 3 ml of olive oil by stomach tube at 72, at 48 and at 24 hours prior to injection. After 24 hours of starvation they were injected intravenously with 3 ml of one of 3 preparations and thereafter received the same preparation by constant intravenous injection at the rate of 1.2 ml/hour. The 3 preparations were: (1) 5% dextrose (10 rats), (2) 10% sesame oil, 0.65% soya lecithin, 4.5% dextrose (13 rats), and (3) 10% coconut oil, 1% soya lecithin, 5% dextrose (5 rats). Three rats were partially hepatectomized but otherwise treated as those receiving sesame oil. Induction of hyperlipemia by these methods led to hypercholesteremia (rise of plasma cholesterol from normal of 60 to 120 mg%) within 12 hours, except in the partially hepatectomized group which failed to rise. Intermittent injection of protamine sulfate (salmine) into rats fed olive oil also resulted in a hypercholesteremia not duplicated by either protamine or olive oil alone. The authors suggest that in hypercholesteremia associated with hyperlipemia, the primary derangement lies not in cholesterol metabolism as such, but in some phase of fat metabolism.