THE EFFECT OF COLD EXPOSURE ON PLASMA AND LIVER CHOLESTEROL LEVELS IN RATS FED VARIOUS DIETS

Abstract

Plasma and liver cholesterol levels were compared in male Wistar rats kept at environmental temperatures of 2 °C and 23 °C on various dietary regimens. Cold exposure had little or no effect on the tissue cholesterol levels provided the diet contained appreciable amounts of choline and inositol, the only statistically significant change observed being a small difference in the liver cholesterol concentration in rats maintained on a cholesterol-free diet. A choline- and inositol-deficient diet produced a hypocholesterolemic effect in rats at 23 °C but this effect was counteracted by exposing the rats to a cold environment. The possible significance of this observation with regard to the biochemical defect in "choline deficient" fatty livers is discussed.