Abstract
Effect of the levels of dietary protein on the concentration of lipids and lecithin: cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) activity in rat plasma was examined.
Male rats were fed the cholesterol-free diets containing three different levels of casein (8, 20 and 32%) for 16 days, or for 2 days after 2 day fasting. By increasing the dietary protein levels, the concentration of cholesterol was increased and this was much remarkable in the esterified form than in the free ones. The plasma phospholipid concentration also appeared to increase. The content of arachidonic acid in cholesterol esters was increased by increasing dietary protein. Though LCAT activity was not influenced by the differences in the dietary regimens, in vitro formation of cholesterol arachidonate by this enzymatic reaction was enhanced when the protein level in diets was increased.
