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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Boston, Massachusetts » Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #304299
Title: Background diet and fat type alters plasma lipoprotein response but not aortic cholesterol accumulation in F1B golden syrian hamsters

Author
item DILLARD, ALICE - Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging At Tufts University
item MATTHAN, NIRUPA - Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging At Tufts University
item SPARTANO, NICOLE - Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging At Tufts University
item BULKOWSKE, ANN - Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging At Tufts University
item LICHTENSTEIN, ALICE - Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging At Tufts University

Submitted to: Lipids
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/15/2013
Publication Date: 10/6/2013
Citation: Dillard, A., Matthan, N.R., Spartano, N.L., Bulkowske, A.E., Lichtenstein, A.H. 2013. Background diet and fat type alters plasma lipoprotein response but not aortic cholesterol accumulation in F1B golden syrian hamsters. Lipids. 48:1177-1184.

Interpretive Summary: Dietary modification is the first approach to reduce heart disease risk. Frequently, animal models are used to test new diet/heart disease hypotheses. In the case of the hamster model, considerable variability has been reported in response to dietary perturbation intended to induce heart disease. Assessed in this study was the interaction between background diet composition and dietary fat type on aortic cholesterol accumulation, plasma lipid profiles, liver lipid content, and selected genes involved with cholesterol metabolism. F1B Golden Syrian hamsters were fed semi-purified or non-purified diets containing either coconut oil or safflower oil and cholesterol. The non-purified diets resulted in significantly higher total cholesterol and non-high density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations for both the coconut oil and safflower oil diets. Blood fat concentrations in the hamsters fed the non-purified diets with coconut oil were 3 to 4 times higher than those in non-purified diets with safflower oil, and both semi-purified diets. Regardless of diet induced differences in fat transport protein profiles, there was no significant effect on aortic cholesterol accumulation. Diet induced differences in liver gene transcription were also not reflected in protein concentrations. Although hamsters fed non-purified and/or saturated fatty acid-supplemented diets were more likely to build up fat in their arteries compared to hamsters fed semi-purified and/or polyunsaturated fatty acid-supplemented diets, these differences were not reflected in aortic cholesterol accumulation.

Technical Abstract: Dietary modification alters plasma lipoprotein profiles and atherosclerotic lesion progression in humans and some animal models. Variability in response to diet induced atherosclerosis has been reported in hamsters. Assessed was the interaction between background diet composition and dietary fat type on aortic cholesterol accumulation, lipoprotein profiles, hepatic lipids and selected genes. F1B Golden Syrian hamsters (20/group) were fed (12 weeks) semi-purified or non-purified diets containing either 10 % (w/w) coconut oil or safflower oil and 0.15 % (w/w) cholesterol. The non-purified diets relative to semi-purified diets resulted in significantly higher TC (72 % [percent difference] and 38 %, coconut oil and safflower oil, respectively) and nHDL-C (84 and 61 %, coconut oil and safflower oil, respectively), and lower HDL-C (-47 and -45 %, coconut oil and safflower oil, respectively) concentrations. Plasma triacylglycerol concentrations in the hamsters fed the non-purified coconut oil supplemented diets were three- to fourfold higher than non-purified safflower oil-supplemented, and both semi-purified diets. With the exception of HDL-C, a significant effect of fat type was observed in TC, nHDL-C and triacylglycerol (all P less than 0.05) concentrations. Regardless of diet induced differences in lipoprotein profiles, there was no significant effect on aortic cholesterol accumulation. There was an inverse relationship between plasma nHDL-C and triacylglycerol, and hepatic cholesteryl ester content (P less than 0.001). Diet induced differences in hepatic gene transcription (LDL receptor, apoB-100, microsomal transfer protein) were not reflected in protein concentrations. Although hamsters fed non-purified and/or saturated fatty acid-supplemented diets had more atherogenic lipoprotein profiles compared to hamsters fed semi-purified and/or polyunsaturated fatty acid-supplemented diets these differences were not reflected in aortic cholesterol accumulation.