Induced Hypercholesterolemia and Atherogenesis

Abstract

An attempt has been made to elicit atherosclerosis in rats by duplicating as far as possible those conditions which in other animals are atherogenic. By making the rats hypothyroid and feeding cholic acid and cholesterol, severe hypercholesterolemia and abnormal beta-lipoproteins appeared along with heavy lipid infiltration of the kidneys, liver, heart and aorta. Aortic and coronary atherosclerosis might have been expected in rats exposed to so much atherogenic material in the blood, but it was not found. Despite lipid infiltration in the intima of the vessels, no appreciable tissue reaction to it occurred; we believe the lack of tissue response is one of the chief causes for the failure of atherosclerosis to develop. Thus tissue response and receptivity to lipid deposition seem to be important mechanisms in atherogenesis.