S. Gordon, W. Cekleniak, S. Stolzenberg
May 1, 1961
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0
Influential Citations
17
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Quality indicators
Journal
Toxicology and applied pharmacology
Abstract
A 6-week feeding experiment was carried out in growing, male gerbils using various dose levels of cholesterol and its methyl ether. Observations during life were limited to total blood cholesterol determinations at various time intervals and to body weight gain. Serum and liver sterols were analyzed in detail after 42 days, when all animals were sacrificed. Morphologic studies of essential organ systems were carried out to examine structural changes after sterol feeding in the gerbil. The results can be summarized as follows: The dietary administration of 1% cholesterol caused a marked elevation of total blood cholesterol which was already manifest at the tenth day of treatment and fell to an elevated plateau. Extreme liver lipoidosis was found in all these animals, whereas the adrenal gland showed only slight morphologic signs of lipid storage. No atheromata or other vascular changes indicative of lipid infiltration were noticeable in the arteries at the end of the experiment. The simultaneous administration of 3% cholesteryl methyl ether and 1% cholesterol in the diet did not inhibit the elevation of blood cholesterol level at various intervals during the experimental period. Final liver lipid and cholesterol determinations and morphologic studies showed no effect of the methyl ether upon the excessive storage of fat in the liver. Dietary administration of 1% cholesteryl methyl ether caused liver granulomata and fibrosis of mesenteric lymph nodes. Very small amounts of this compound were found in the liver, indicating minimal absorption. Small, supernumerary spleens were found in the pancreas in 1739 cases (42%), a very high incidence in contrast to other laboratory animals.