| Hypercholesterolemia has been implicated as a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, atherosclerosis, gall stones and emerging evidence suggesting a direct role of disrupted cholesterol metabolism in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. The aim of this study was to measure the extent to which diet induced hypercholesterolemia affects cholesterol metabolism in the Brown Norway rat, a model for Alzheimer's disease. Rats were fed a cholesterol free (control) and a 1%--2% cholesterol supplemented diet (CCA) for 1 to 4 months. Results showed a 44% to 64% increase in the liver weights in CCA group. A 1.3 to 1.7 fold increase in the plasma cholesterol levels was observed in CCA fed rats. Liver lipids showed a 3.2--3.6 fold increase in the total cholesterol (TC), 2--3 fold increase in free cholesterol (FC) and 3--4 fold increase in cholesterol esters (CE) in the experimental group. 48 VLDL fractions showed significant increases (p<0.01) in TC, FC and CE levels in the CCA group. Results from this study suggest a link between dietary cholesterol and altered cholesterol metabolism in the peripheral circulation in the rat, and form the prelude for more extensive investigations in the brain. |
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