A hereditary postprandial hypertriglyceridemic rabbit (PHT rabbit) is a new dyslipidemic model showing remarkably high plasma triglycerides with only limited elevation of plasma total cholesterol. In PHT rabbits, plasma triglyceride was markedly elevated postprandially compared with healthy Japanese white (JW) rabbits. In physiological experiments, the ring preparation of the thoracic aorta was suspended in an organ bath filled with modified Krebs-Henseleit solution, and the developed tension was recorded. Endothelial function was evaluated by acetylcholine-induced vasorelaxation in each preparation with intact endothelium. The acetylcholine-induced endothelium-dependent relaxation was diminished in PHT compared with JW rabbits, suggesting endothelial dysfunction in PHT rabbits. Histological examination was carried out in adipose tissue, liver and aorta. They were fixed in formaldehyde and embedded in paraffin. The tissues were sliced (4 μm) and stained using hematoxylin-eosin solution. In the adipose tissue, the visceral fat accumulated, and the size of adipose cells was enlarged in PHT rabbits. The liver of the PHT rabbit was fatty and degenerated. In aorta, increased intimal thickness was observed, suggesting the progression of atherosclerosis in the PHT rabbit. This study suggests the important role of postprandial hypertriglyceridemia in atherosclerosis. By using PHT rabbits, the effects of hypertriglyceridemia on health and diseases could be evaluated precisely.

The effects of chronic administration of piceatannol-enriched (9.5% w/w) passion fruit seed extract (PFSE) on the cardiovascular damage induced in a high-fat (HF) diet-fed model of Fischer 344 rats were evaluated. Rats were fed the control, HF, or HF diets containing PFSE (0.5% w/w) for 16 weeks, and the effects of the various diets on the tissue weight, serum lipid profile, hepatic fibrosis, hepatic ductular reaction, cardiac function and aortic ring reactivity were examined. HF diet-fed rats developed signs of cardiovascular disease with abnormal serum profiles compared to control diet-fed rats. PFSE supplementation improved the liver hypertrophy and hepatic histology of the HF diet-fed rats. In addition, the triglyceride and cholesterol levels, platelet aggregation, cardiac function, and acetylcholine-mediated relaxation of the aortic ring were improved. These results suggest that the chronic intake of PFSE containing piceatannol prevents HF diet-induced cardiovascular disease in rats.

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