Long-Term and Short-Term Effects of Dietary Cholesterol and Fats in the Mongolian Gerbil

Abstract

In long-term and short-term experiments with Mongolian gerbils the effects of various dietary fats and different amounts of cholesterol on progeniture and liver pathology were studied. In contrast to palm kernel oil, with 8.75% (w/w) of sunflower seed oil we observed fewer litters and a decreased survival of the sucklings. On 0.2% of cholesterol we observed severe hypercholesterolemia and storage of cholesterol ester in the liver, ultimately leading to cirrhosis. On 0.05% for 6 months the gerbils stayed in good health. Progeniture was unaffected on this level of intake.

Analysis, Heat Stability and Physiological Effects of Saponins from Oats

“…Saturated fatty acids increase the blood cholesterol level (Nicolosi et al, 1981) and dietary cholesterol, even at low concentrations, induce hypercholesterolemia (Temmerman et al, 1988). Thus, gerbils react more readily than e.g.…”

Dietary Cholesterol and Fats at a Young Age: Do They Influence Cholesterol Metabolism in Adult Life?

“…Though in experi ment II bile acid excretion was enhanced on all diets in comparison with diet B, and therefore probably bile acid synthesis also, yet in experiments IV and V we found no differences in bile acid excretion. In view of the predisposition of the gerbil to accumu late cholesterol [Bergman and Vanderlinden, 1971;Temmerman et al, 1988Temmerman et al, , 1989, in creased cholesterol ester storage in pre viously cholesterol-fed animals could have been an explanation for the higher serum cholesterol in those gerbils, but analysis of tissue cholesterol concentrations did not support this possibility, since carcass and skin cholesterol contents were not influenced by the diets, and liver cholesterol content was the same in all groups in experiment IV (tables 5, 6). Though microscopy of the liver did not reveal abnormalities in gerbils pre treated with BC, this does not exclude submicroscopic abnormalities, such as slight al terations in the binding capacity of the he patic LDL receptors, that might account for the differences in serum cholesterol levels.…”

“…Serum cholesterol in the gerbils fed on diet POC tended to be lower than in those on PO and in addition, liver cholesterol content tended to be lower in the gerbils fed on diets POC and SC than in those fed on diets BC. We have suggested previously [Temmerman et al, 1988] that the gerbil may handle dietary cholesterol more easily when fat is added to the diet. The above findings could be another illustra tion of that phenomenon.…”

“…5.8%; carbohydrates, 51 %; water, 11 %. For details, see Temmerman et al [1988]. In the fat-supple mented diets, the protein content was increased to 26% to achieve approximately the same energy per centage, in order to compensate for excess calories from fat.…”

Hepatic Sinusoidal Fibrosis Induced by Cholesterol and Stilbestrol in the Rabbit: 1. Morphology and Inhibition of Fibrogenesis by Dipyridamole

“…[1][2][3][4][5] However, in thesia without prior fasting, and samples were excised, diced, and most species, including the rabbit, the fibrosis is mild, re-fixed by immersion in cold 2.5% glutaraldehyde buffered with 0.1 quires many months to develop, and is highly variable be-mol/L of cacodylate at pH 7.2. This tissue was later postfixed with osmium tetroxide, embedded in Epon 812, and the sections were stained with lead citrate and uranyl acetate.…”