Dietary Fat and Hypercholesteremia in the Cebus Monkey: III. Serum Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids

Abstract

The effect of dietary factors on the concentration of polyunsaturated fatty acids in serum lipids and in subfractions of serum lipids was studied in the Cebus monkey. When cholesterol was included in the diet the polyunsaturated fatty acid content of sera was reduced. The level of dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids influenced the level of polyunsaturated fatty acids esterified with cholesterol in serum. When Cebus monkeys were placed on diets essentially free of dietary fat, they developed certain hair and skin changes. The polyunsaturated fatty acid levels in the total serum lipids and in the serum cholesterol ester fractions of these monkeys was markedly depressed. The dienoic acids were the principal group affected.