Cholesterolmetabolisme tydens die opwekking en regenerasie van eksperimentele aterosklerose
Abstract
In the present investigation it was planned to evoke atherosclerosis
in rabbits which agrees with that seen in man. For this
purpose a semi- synthetic diet with a high fat content was used.
Although an atherogenic state, according to the cholesterol and
C/p values of the serum was induced in the experimental animals,
pronounced atherosclerosis i n the aortic wall was only found in
a single rabbit. The increase in the atherogenic state with a
resultant atherosclerosis seemed to be a strong time dependent
process.
In the second phase of the experiment the regenerative properties
of a maize meal containing semi- synthetic diet was investigated
with regard to the induced atherogenic state. It was
found that this diet effects complete regeneration of the atherogenic
state in the blood, according to the cholesterol and
C/p values of the serum, while it brought about only partial
regeneration of the cholesterol concentration in the aortic wall.
This regenerative effect of the diet may not necessarily be attributed
to the maize meal in the diet , seeing that regeneration
can take place spontaneously only by the removal of the atherogenic
factor (Katz 1958).
During the atherogenic phase of the experiment a hypocholesteremic
tendency of the sugar mealie containing atherogenic
diet was observed with regard to a white maize meal containing
diet . The values of the cholesterol in the aortic wall of the
rabbits on the sugar mealie containing diet however , were mostly
higher than those on the other diet.
The increase in the values of the serum- cholesterol during
the atherogenic phase could inter alia be explained by an increase in the activity of the cholesterol-synthesis in the
liver and a simultaneous decrease in the catabolism of cholesterol.
This resulted in an increase of the cholesterol :
synthesis ratio. The decrease of the serum-cholesterol values
during the regenerative phase of the experiment could not be
explained by the metabolism of cholesterol seeing that no alteration
in the synthesis of cholesterol could be detected
while a slight decrease in the catabolism was observed. These
alterations follow apparently on the slight relative decrease
of the serum PBI values which was observed during this phase.