Effects of three fat-enriched diets on the arterial pressure of rabbits.

Rabbits were fed diets enriched with proprietary edible fats for 5 weeks, raising the fat content of their diet from 4% to 23%. The diet enriched with animal fat caused a 13.5% rise in arterial pressure. The diet enriched with vegetable oil caused an 8.5% rise in arterial pressure. The diet enriched with butter caused an initial rise of 10% decreasing to 6% by the fifth week. Histological examination of the carotid and renal arteries, and aorta revealed no changes in connective tissue or lipid content as compared with those of control animals. It is concluded that changes in arterial pressure can occur after ingestion of excess dietary lipid, and that these changes are not confined to any class of lipid, or related to its properties as an atherosclerotic agent.