Effects of dietary fats from animal and plant sources on diet-induced fatty streak lesions in C57BL/6J mice.

This study was designed to determine the effects of a variety of naturally occurring saturated fats on aortic lesion formation in C57BL/6J mice that are susceptible to diet-induced fatty streak lesions. Groups of female mice were randomly assigned to one of seven treatment groups and were fed diets containing 15% (w/w) hydrogenated coconut oil, hydrogenated soy oil, hydrogenated palm oil, cocoa butter, lard, tallow, or dairy butter, 1% cholesterol, and 0.5% cholic acid. Plasma lipid levels were measured to determine whether lesion formation was related to specific changes in these parameters. Lesions, which were observed in all groups of mice, ranged from 420 to 3220 microns2/aortic cross section. Lesion area was positively correlated to the percentage of saturated fatty acids contained in the fat sources and the ratio of combined VLDL plus LDL-cholesterol to HDL-cholesterol and inversely correlated to monounsaturated fatty acids content and to HDL-cholesterol levels. Results from this study demonstrate that inbred mice may provide a good model for dissecting the genetic basis for the differential atherogenic responses to diet-induction and for studying the effects of dietary factors on aortic lesion development.