Effects of saturated and unsaturated fat feeding on experimental thromboatherosclerosis

¹ Harold Brunn Institute, Mount Zion Hospital and Medical Center, San Francisco, California

Intra-aortic insertion of magnesium-aluminum-zinc wire was used to induce experimental aortic thrombosclerosis in rabbits fed kennel chow and in rabbits fed chow supplemented with cholesterol, with and without additions of saturated or unsaturated fat. In the absence of cholesterol supplement, no spontaneous atherosclerosis developed and no excess lipid appeared in the thrombosclerotic plaque, regardless of supplementations with saturated or unsaturated fat. In the presence of cholesterol supplement, both spontaneous atherosclerosis and thromboatherosclerosis were noted. Additional supplementations with saturated or unsaturated fat did not ameliorate either lesion. Rabbits ingesting cholesterol plus unsaturated fat exhibited no less hypercholesteremia, spontaneous atherosclerosis, and thromboatherosclerosis than did rabbits on any other regimen. The results are discussed with reference to the effect of oral unsaturated fat on bile acid and cholesterol within the intestinal lumen.