The role of dietary protein in hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis.

Rabbits become hypercholesterolemic and develop atherosclerotic lesions when fed a cholesterol-free, semipurified diet. This provides a useful experimental model in which a moderate hypercholesterolemia can be maintained for long periods of time. The elevation of plasma cholesterol and development of atherosclerosis are dependent on the kind of protein in the diet and can be prevented by replacing casein with isolated soy protein. Feeding trials with enzymatic digests or mixtures of amino acids indicate that this difference is at least partly due to the differing amino acid composition of the two proteins. Rabbits on the soy protein diet showed higher rates of oxidation and turnover of cholesterol than those on the casein diet. Dietary protein has generally been considered to be of little significance in the etiology of atherosclerosis in humans, but evidence is accumulating which indicates that it can have a significant influence on human plasma cholesterol levels.