Experimental Atherosclerosis in Cebus Monkeys

Abstract

Atherosclerosis has been produced in Cebus monkeys by dietary means. This disease has been produced by feeding diets high in cholesterol and low in sulfur amino acids over periods of 18 to 30 weeks. Within 2 to 8 weeks this regimen caused the concentration of cholesterol in the serum to rise to 300 to 800 mg. per cent. The hypercholesterolemia could be largely prevented by feeding 1 gm. per day of dl-methionine or l-cystine as supplements to the diet. After the serum concentration had become elevated, it could be restored to normal by feeding 1 gm. of dl-methionine but only partially restored by 0.5 gm. of l-cystine daily. The vascular lesions were in the ascending aorta but extended from the valves of the left ventricle to the proximal portions of the carotid and femoral arteries. Minimal lesions have been observed in the coronary arteries. The aortic lesions were chiefly characterized by the presence of lipid-laden phagocytes and increase in collagen and elastic fibers. The lipids were in part cholesterol derivatives. Visceral cholesterolosis was not associated with this disease.

Animal models for the atherosclerosis research: a review

“…Spontaneous atherosclerosis is observed in monkeys (Taylor et al, 1954), and the development of atherosclerotic lesions and fatal myocardial infarction can be induced in rhesus monkeys fed a high cholesterol diet (Taylor et al, 1954;Andrus and Mann, 1956). To date, similar observations have been demonstrated by Mann et al (1953), Taylor et al (1959), Lindsay and Chaikoff (1966), Armstrong and Warner (1971) and Armstrong and Heistad (1990) to review and characterize dyslipidemia and atherosclerosis in non-human primates.…”

Nutrition Research from Respiration and Vitamins to Cholesterol and Atherosclerosis

“…They were imported from Latin America, mostly from Colombia, and were Cebus monkeys (Cebus albifrons). The results of our first studies using monkeys were published in 1952 and 1953 (14,16). To our knowledge, this was the first report of the experimental production of atherosclerosis by dietary mea sures in a subhuman primate.…”

Atherosclerosis in Subhuman Primates

“…Mann et al [1952] pioneered nutritional studies with this species and devised a diet on which the animals thrived. It was later learned th a t hypercholesterolemia could be induced with diets adequate in choline content, high in cholesterol (5%) and corn oil (15%), and m oderately poor in sulfur-containing amino acids (Mann et al [1953]). Methionine, and to some extent L-cystine, prevented the development of hypercholesterolemia (Mann and McNally [I960]).…”