Failure to produce atherosclerosis in Macaca radiata on a high-methionine, high-fat, pyridoxine-deficient diet.

Accelerated atherosclerotic lesions are observed in genetic defects characterised by marked homocystinaemia as a result of low levels of cystathionine synthase, a pyridoxal phosphate-dependent enzyme. Attempts were therefore made to induce atherosclerosis in Macaca radiata, maintained on a high-protein, high-methionine and high-fat diet by inducing pyridoxine deficiency with deoxypyridoxine. Pyridoxine deficient monkeys failed to show any biochemical or pathological evidence of atherosclerosis, despite a significant decrease in the activity of hepatic cystathionine synthase.