Plasma Cholesterol In Mice Research Articles

Schistosoma mansoni: A comparative study of plasma and erythrocyte lipid alterations in the experimentally infected mouse and in selected human patients

Alterations of plasma and erythrocyte lipids associated with hepatosplenic schistosomiasis mansoni were studied in the mouse and in human patients. Qualitative and quantitative differences were observed between the two species which indicated that the experimentally infected mouse should not be used as a model for altered lipid metabolism associated with Schistosoma mansoni infections in man. Also blood lipid values should not be used as prophylactic indicators for experimental therapeutical studies in the infected mouse, although lipid determinations could have clinical value in studies of human patients. In infected mice plasma cholesterol and phospholipid were significantly reduced (40 and 25%, respectively), but proportions of individual plasma phospholipids were unchanged. In contrast, only plasma cholesterol was reduced in human patients with compensated or decompensated hepatosplenic schistosomiasis (16 and 29%, respectively); of the individual phospholipids, lecithin was significantly increased and lysolecithin was decreased. The percentage of plasma total cholesterol was reduced in infected mice and patients suggesting that hypocholesterolemia is due mainly to decreased cholesteryl ester. Lipid changes also occurred in erythrocytes. Those of infected mice had significantly elevated membrane phospholipid content and no changes in cholesterol or in the proportions of the individual phospholipid fractions. In marked contrast, the erythrocytes of two groups of human patients had significantly higher levels of cholesterol without a raised total phospholipid concentration. Moreover, decreased proportions of lysolecithin and increased proportions of lecithin were apparent although only the increased membrane lecithin associated with compensated patients was statistically significant.

Independence of blood pressure and plasma cholesterol in mice

Systolic blood pressure and plasma cholesterol levels were determined in male mice from lines genetically selected either for high and low systolic blood pressure or for high and low plasma cholesterol. No association was found between the two characteristics in these lines.

Effects of intense noise on adrenal and plasma cholesterol of mice.

Nos experiences sur l'effet du bruit intense sur l'activite des surrenales des souris ont donne les resultats suivants: 1° la cholesterine des surrenales et la cholesterine sanguine demeurent inchangees, 2° nous n'avons pas pu obtenir les signes d'hypertrophie de la surrenale ou d'atrophie du thymus apres 1 a 4 semaines d'excitations par le bruit (5 min par jour). On constate done que chez les souris periodiquement soumises a un bruit intense mais de courte duree, le cortex surrenalien ne subit pas d'augmentation excessive.