Abstract
It was previously reported that excess iron accelerated the progress of noradrenalin-induced atherosclerosis. In the present experiment, influence of addition of beef tallow to the diet on atherosclerosis was examined.
Of 14 male Japanese white rabbits, five were fed on an iron-adequate diet with vegetable oil (I-group), four fed on an excess-iron diet with same oil (II-group) and five fed on the same diet as in the II-group to which beef tallow was added (III-group).
All of the rabbits were fed for 18 weeks. They were loaded by drip infusion of noradrenalin from the 14th week to the 16 week of the feeding period.
The results were as follow:
1) The incidence rate of grossly visible atherosclerosis was 60% in I-group, 75% in II-group and 20% in III-group.
2) The level of total-iron in liver was significantly higher (p<0.001) in II-group than in I- and III-groups and that in III-group was between those in I- and II-groups. The level in small intestine was lowest in I-group and highest (p<0.025) in III-group.
3) The level of calcium in the thoracic aorta was extremely high in II-group and that in III-group was lower than in I-group.
4) The level of total cholesterol in the abdominal aorta was significantly higher (p<0.05) in II-group than in I- and III-groups.
5) The level of triglyceride in the thoracic aorta was higher in II-group and that in III-group was lower than in I-group.
6) The severity of atherosclerosis in the thoracic aorta was parallel with both calcium and triglyceride contents.
From the above results, it was assumed that beef tallow might have inhibited development of atherosclerosis due to excess iron, because P/S ratio in the diet influenced on permiability of the membrane of cells, and as a result of that also on passing of iron through the membrane.
