Plasma lipid responses of rats and rabbits to an auditory stimulus

Abstract

Rats exposed to a continuous sound stimulus having an intensity of 102 db and an intermittent sound stimulus (200-cycle square wave with a duration of about 1 sec and having an intensity of 114 db) exhibited marked elevation and prolongation of clearing of postprandial plasma triglyceride for a period of approximately 21 days. This lipid abnormality did not appear to be mediated by any alteration in the rate of hepatic discharge of fat. The abnormality could be corrected with epinephrine. Cholesterol-fed rabbits exposed to similar sound stimulus for 10 weeks exhibited a higher blood cholesterol and more intense atherosclerosis than similarly fed control animals.