Abstract
The effects of three different diets to which cholesterol with or without cholic acid were compared for their hyperlipemic effect in C57BL 6J mice. The addition of 1% cholesterol and 0.5% cholic acid (CC) to a standard Laboratory Rodent Chow diet that contains 4.5% total mixed fat, had little effect on serum lipids. In contrast, addition of CC to a AIN76A diet that contains 5% corn oil and low levels of α-linolenic acid (18:3 ϵ, α LNA) resulted in a 76% increase in total plasma cholesterol levels. The fat content of a semipurified (ANFAT) hypercholesteremic diet (ANFAT + CC) had to be raised to 18% lard to obtain a similar elevation in plasma total lipid levels. Neither dietary corn oil, ANFAT, nor CC alone caused an increase in plasma cholesterol and total lipid levels. The addition of α LNA to the AIN76A diet resulted in a decrease in plasma cholesterol and total lipid concentrations. We conclude that the addition of CC to AIN76A diet unmasked an α-linolenic acid insufficiency in this diet, leading to elevation of plasma cholesterol levels. The addition of α LNA restored the dietary lipid balance and reestablished a normocholesteremic level.
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