Abstract

LERTORA, W.J. et al. Desarrollo inicial de ateroesclerosis en aorta de conejos sometidos a dietas con exceso de colesterol. Rev. vet. [online]. 2014, vol.25, n.2, pp.87-94. ISSN 1669-6840.

To obtain an experimental model of aortic atherosclerosis, male adult New Zealand rabbits were fed with three doses of dietary cholesterol (0.62, 0.93 and 1.24 g/day) for 60 days. Serum cholesterol, HDL and LDL-cholesterol, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanin aminotransferase (ALT) and the development of atherosclerosis in aorta, were evaluated. Increased dietary cholesterol from 0.62 to 0.93 g/day resulted in a significant increase (p=0.05) in serum cholesterol (from 6.79 ±2.34 to 9.51 ±0.10 g/l), due mainly to the increase in LDL-cholesterol. The dose of 1.24 g/day did not induce further increase in cholesterolemia compared to the dose of 0.93 g/day. Serum cholesterol was highly variable among rabbits that received 0.62 g/day, this variability was reduced with the highest dose of cholesterol. ALT and AST activities remained normal until day 30 of experience, increasing significantly at day 60 (p=0.05) in the groups receiving cholesterol at the doses of 0.93 and 1.24 g/day, associated with liver fatty degeneration. All doses of cholesterol induced aortic sudanophilic lesion areas of variable surface. Aortic lesions were characterized by a focal increase in intima thickening caused by infiltration of foamy macrophages and smooth muscle mixed in variable proportions with extracellular matrix deposition. In conclusion, the sensitivity of the New Zealand rabbit to develop hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerotic lesions in a short period of time when consuming a high cholesterol diet, is confirmed. The dose of 0.93 g/day for 60 days caused a lower variability in the hypercholesterolemic response among rabbits with significant development of atherosclerotic lesions. This model of early atherosclerosis will allow the study of the atheroprotective effects of different medicines and functional foods.

Keywords : rabbit; experimental model; aorta; atherosclerosis; cholesterol.

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