Influence of dietary factors on plasma lipid relationships in the growing chick.

Abstract

SummaryChicks fed 20% dietary protein had lower plasma total cholesterol, phospholipid and glyceride levels than did chicks fed a 10% level of protein. The chicks fed the higher level of protein excreted 4.45 g of bile acids per kilo of body weight per day as compared to 3.06 g for the chicks fed the 10% level of protein. A highly significant positive correlation was observed between plasma total cholesterol and phospholipid levels in chicks fed cholesterol-free diets. The data illustrate that cholesterol and phospholipid increase at similar rates in animals not fed cholesterol, but that in the cholesterol-fed chick cholesterol increases at a faster rate, thereby resulting in an elevated cholesterol-phospholipid ratio.