Influence of dietary fats on atherosclerosis, coagulation and platelet phospholipids in rabbits.

SUMMARY: Male rabbits were fed for six months diets comprising cholesterol (0.1%) and either butter alone (10%) or butter (5%) plus cacao butter, coconut oil, olive oil, or corn oil (4.5%). These fats could be classified according to their atherogenicity as follows, in decreasing order: butter, olive oil, coconut oil, cacao butter, and corn oil. The severity of the atherosclerotic lesions was correlated with the plasma cholesterol. By contrast, concerning their effect on the recalcification plasma (platelet-rich) clotting time (PCT), These fats could be classified in the following way: cacao butter, butter,, coconut oil, olive oil and corn oil. The values of the PCT were significantly correlated with the ratio stearic/linoleic acid in the dietary fats, the clotting activity and the fatty acid composition of the platelet phospholipid fractions examined (phosphatidyl serine plus phosphatidyl inositol), but not with the concentration of these fractions in platelets. Butter was the only fat able to induce severe alterations at the same time in coagulation (presumably through an increase in the activity of certain platelet phospholipids), lipemia and arterial wall morphology.