Effect of cold stress on rapeseed oil fed rats.

No mortality was observed in 6 week old male Sprague-Dawley rats subjected to cold at 4 C for 3 weeks and fed either a control diet (Chow) or a semisynthetic diet containing 20% by wt rapeseed oil high in erucic acid (23.6%). All rats fed the Chow diet and 17 of 20 rats fed the rapeseed oil-containing diet survived 4 weeks in the same environment. Three rats on the latter diet died of self-mutilation. Marked myocardial lipidosis as well as a large acumulation of 20:1 and 22:1 was observed in the hearts of rats fed the rapeseed oil-containing diet. Five of 20 rats on the Chow diet and 2 of 20 rats on the rapeseed oil-containing diet had focal necrotic areas in the myocardium.