Studies on the Relation of Diet, Cholesterol and Atheroma in Chickens

Abstract

In this study cockerels were fed varying diets supplemented with lard, vegetable oil, and cholesterol. The degree of atherosclerosis was compared in serial autopsies and only the cholesterol-fed group showed a significant difference. During a period of two years there was no apparent change in the degree of atheroma when the diet was supplemented with cottonseed oil or lard. Reversibility of the cholesterol-induced atheroma was also studied in a few chickens, and it appears that the early lesions may undergo considerable regression after cholesterol feeding is stopped. Older lesions, on the other hand, appear to be quite fixed.