Study of fatty acids in atheroma induced in rabbits by an atherogenic diet with or without silicon i.v. treatment.

Fifty-two rabbits were submitted for two months to an atherogenic diet with or without addition of silicon in the form of an I.V. silicon organic compound and compared to a control group of 21 rabbits. Out of the 26 rabbits receiving cholesterol alone, 23 showed atheromatous lesions; out of the 26 rabbits receiving cholesterol + silicon, only 8 had lesions. Free fatty acids, total fatty acids and esters were studied in the plasma and in the aorta. During atheroma, saturated fatty acids decrease, in particular 18:0, unsaturated fatty acids increase, in particular 18:1, 18:2, 20:4; with added silicon the variations are less important: in free fatty acids in plasma, there is a decrease of 20:4; in cholesterol esters in plasma and aorta an increase of 18:0 and a decrease of 18:2. There is a negative correlation between atheromatous lesions and myristic and stearic acids, and a positive correlation between oleic, linoleic and arachidonic acids and atheroma. Arachidonic acid, involved in phenomena of lipid peroxidation, decreased in the silicon treated rabbits.