Abstract
Three groups of male Japanese rabbits weighing about 2.7Kg each were given experimental diets consisting of high cholesterol chow and fluid skim milk, yogurt or water, and were bled every four weeks to measure serum lipids. After 12 weeks they were killed and concentrations of total cholesterol and atheromatous areas dyed with Oil Red O were determined in the aorta to evaluate the development of atherosclerosis. At 8 and 12 weeks, the skim milk group showed significantly lower levels of serum total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglyceride than the control group. Although no significant difference between the yogurt and control groups in concentrations of serum lipids was observed, total cholesterol concentrations in the aorta were significantly lower in both the skim milk and the yogurt groups than in the control group. The atheromatous areas of the skim milk group (38±34%) were significantly smaller than those of the control group (75±25%). No significant difference, however, was found between the yogurt group (51±22%) and the control group. Concentrations of total cholesterol in the liver did not differ among the three groups. These results suggest that skim milk may have a preventive effect on the development of atherosclerosis.
