Effects of essential fatty acid deficiency and supplementation on atheroma formation and regression

Abstract

Summary Histological methods were utilized to study the lipids in the vascular and hepatic tissues of groups of rats pre-fed EFA-deficient and stock diets and subsequently fed diets containing varying amounts of cholesterol and/or hydrogenated coconut oil. Coronary atheromas were produced in EFA-deficient rats solely by the addition of 20 % hydrogenated coconut oil to the diet for 10 weeks. EFA deficiency also seemed to predispose to an increased accumulation of both lipid and cholesterol in the coronary arteries and livers of rats which were subsequently fed cholesterol and/or hydrogenated coconut oil. These results support the hypothesis that the mechanisms for cholesterol transport are defective in the EFA-deficient rat. In experiments undertaken to determine whether the lipid deposition in the coronary arteries could be reversed, an atherogenic diet containing 3 % cholesterol plus 20 % hydrogenated coconut oil was fed to rats for 8 weeks, followed by cholesterol-free diets containing either no fat, 20 % hydrogenated coconut oil, or 20 % cottonseed oil for 8 weeks. Regression of lipid deposits was achieved only in the coronary arteries of the animals fed the cottonseed-oil containing diet.