RELATION OF TYPES OF DIETARY FAT TO CARDIOVASCULAR DAMAGE IN MICE

Nine edible oils or fats (hydrogenated coconut, cod liver, Wesson, linseed, olive, butter, lard, corn and cocoa‐butter) were fed for 50–90 days to study the relation of saturation, chain length and essential fatty acid content to production of cardiovascular lesions. The specific oil or fat (selected for ranges in the above variables) was used as the dietary lipid in a high‐fat (28%), low‐protein (8%), hypolipotropic diet. Half of the animals received identical diets containing choline chloride (2 gm/100 gm of diet) as a lipotropic supplement. Atrial mural thrombosis and ventricular myocardial necrosis and calcification developed in all dietary groups. Atrial thrombosis was the most frequent lesion. The greatest incidence of atrial thrombosis occurred in mice fed the choline‐deficient, butter‐containing diet (92%) and the lowest incidence with the supplemented cod liver oil diet (20%). The diet containing unsupplemented hydrogenated coconut oil produced the greatest incidence of ventricular necrosis (79%) and that with choline‐supplemented cocoa‐butter the lowest (8%). Ventricular calcification was most extensive within the unsupplemented cod liver oil group (83%), most limited in the supplemented lard group (5%). In general, choline‐supplemented diets produced a lower incidence of cardiac damage. Little correlation existed between the composition and characteristics of specific fats and their activity in producing the specific cardiac lesions observed here. Copyright © 1969 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.